Two and One
by Silver1Sun
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke are ANBU in a time of peace. When a request comes in from England, Naruto is happy to oblige. Naruto Harry Potter crossover. SasuNaru pairing by popular vote
1. Chapter 1 Recon

Two In One

Hooray for bandwagons. Yup, folks, another nutcase has posted a Naruto-Harry Potter crossover. I couldn't help myself, Harry Potter is just such and easy series to crossover with anime. And Kingdom Hearts, for that matter. Ooooh, now there's an idea.

Anyway, I started writing this a looooong time ago, right after book 6 of Harry Potter came out. Okay, it wasn't that long ago, but still, I only have this one chapter to show for it. I'm lazy.

Summary: Naruto and Sasuke are bored ANBU in a time of peace. When a request from England comes in for an important mission, Naruto is eager to accept. What kinds of troubles will they face on their journey into the wizarding world? Naruto/Harry Potter crossover.

Yaoi, maybe? Only if you guys want it, otherwise it'll just be SasuNaru friendship. But absolutely no DracoHarry stuff, I don't ship it because I don't think it would be possible. They hate each other too much. Sasuke and Naruto on the other hand, cough, http:// groups. /NarutoMangaReturns/ vol26.msnw?actionShowPhoto&PhotoID14321, take out the spaces.

Disclaimer: Do I have to say it?...Fine. I do not own the Naruto manga/anime series, which is written by the fabulous Masashi Kishimoto-sama, or Harry Potter, which was made a worldwide phenomenon by the ever amazing J.K. Rowling, nor am I in any way affiliated with the companies that distribute them to the masses.

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Japanese words to know, just in case.

ANBU- literaly translates to "Dark Side" or "Black Ops", it's actually short for **An**satsu Senjutsu Tokushu **Bu**tai, which translates to "Special Assassination and Tactical Squad." Think of them as a ninja SWAT team. (Taken from (Also spelled taisho). Captain, as in a squad. Know I'm going against cannon a little here but let's pretend that there is only one captain in ANBU, because I couldn't think of any other word to use.

Godaime -"Fifth Generation." Godaime Hokage translates to Fifth Hokage.

Hokage- "Fire Shadow." Leader of Konohagakure.

Konohagakure- "Village Hidden In the Leaves." Naruto and Sasuke's hometown. "Konoha" for short.

hai- a respectfull way to say "yes" or "yes,sir."

Tsunade-baa-chan- "Old Lady Tsunade."

Sandaime- "Third Generation." Refers to the previous Hokage, Sarutobi.

jutsu- ninja techniques.

Kyuubi no Kitsune- "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox." We just call him Kyuubi, Kyuu for short.

youki- demon energy, as opposed to reiki, or spirit energy. Reiki Chakra in the Naruto universe.

teme- an extremely rude way to say "you," roughly "you bastard." Normally used as an insult.

dobe- a slang word for "idiot" or "dead last."

-sama- suffix to a name, roughly meaning "Milord so-and-so" (or Milady)

usuratonkachi- I'm pretty sure this means something along the lines of "freaking idiot." (credit to mindspeech

Ch.1 – Recon

Sasuke cursed as his cloak caught on a branch and ripped. _Dammit_, he thought_, I don't have time for this!_

Sasuke was mad. And impatient. He was in the middle of nowhere, at midnight, coming back from a really boring long-term reconnaissance mission, covered in mud and other icky things_. Why does this stupid mission matter, anyway? Nothing happened the entire time! Nothing! A whole month of complete and total shit!_ Sasuke's tired mind churned these angry thoughts out in slow motion as he ran at top speed, vaulting expertly over a fallen tree trunk. He was exhausted, hungry, and bored out of his skull. He wanted to go home. Period.

_Who the hell sends ANBU members out on reconnaissance, anyway?_

Yeah, that's right. The famous (or infamous, depending on who you asked) Uchiha Sasuke, ANBU's second in command. Out of everyone in the entire village he answered only to two people: the ANBU Taicho and the Godaime herself.

Not that he cared. Not at that exact moment, anyway.

He just wanted to get home. That way he could see Naruto.

As much as he hated to admit it, Sasuke had grown attatched to the little "dobe." Not that he was little anymore. At the age of nineteen he was actually rather tall, only an inch or so shorter than Sasuke. His hair was longer though. It fell just below his shoulders, and he usually kept it tied into a secure low ponytail. He was still bright and sunny when he was off-duty, but as soon as the mask was on he was all business. He had to be. There was no room for "almost" when it came to ANBU.

And so Naruto came to be one of the best of the elite ninja in Konohagakure.

Thinking of Naruto only made Sasuke want to get back even more. He picked up the pace, pulled up his hood, and raced silently off into the shadows.

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Sasuke arrived at the main gates of the village at around two o'clock that morning. All was quiet and he was alone. Or so he thought.

Quite suddenly, he was surrounded by figures wearing the familiar ANBU uniform. One leapt down from a nearby tree and twisted Sasuke's arms behind his back with practiced ease. Sasuke felt the cool metal of a kunai knife against his throat. Wisely he froze, not wanting to provoke any unnecessary violence and at the same time wondering why his comrades hadn't yet recognized him. _Oh, yeah my hood…stupid cloak…_

"What business do you have in Konohagakure?" the ANBU behind him demanded.

_Wait, that voice_! Sasuke thought.

"Naruto, you moron, let me go!" Sasuke struggled to speak, which was pretty difficult to do considering there was a blade at his neck, "It's me!"

Naruto (for it was indeed him) released Sasuke immediately. The darker of the two shinobi pushed back his hood and crossed his arms in mild annoyance. Naruto lifted his fox-shaped ANBU mask from his face, revealing a surprised and apologetic look. "Sasuke? Sorry, I didn't recognize you!" he pinched his nose between his index finger and thumb, "I didn't know anyone could be _that_ muddy. Ew, it smells like crap."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Hey, where's your mask?" asked Naruto. He gasped accusingly, "Don't tell me you lost it!" When Sasuke didn't protest he continued, "Sasuke! That was your fourth one! These things aren't cheap, you know!" He waved his own in his friend's face for emphasis.

"Uzumaki-taicho!" One ANBU from the surrounding group stepped forward and addressed Naruto respectfully, "Taicho, now that he's back, you both should report immediately to the Hokage's office. She's waiting for you both."

_Taicho? Naruto? Oh, hell no…_

"Right, sorry" Naruto answered, "You can all call it a night, then. Dismissed," his hand shot out in front of him, indicating the finality of the order.

"Hai!" The remaining ANBU chorused in and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

_No way…What's going on here?_

"Taicho, huh?" Sasuke asked mildly, not knowing whether to be impressed, angry, annoyed or what. An ANBU Taicho was decided in order of rank. When the previous Taicho retired or died, his second in command would take his place. Which meant that Sasuke should have been given the position, not Naruto. Unable to decide on an emotion, he settled for his usual blank stare.

Naruto turned back to Sasuke and replaced his mask, "I'll explain when we get to Tsunade-baa-chan's office, okay? Go get cleaned up first though, you really do smell terrible. I'll meet you there in a half-hour." With a flourish of his long hair, he leaped to the top of the village's outer wall and waved cheerily before disappearing over the edge.

Sasuke stared after him. _What in the world happened during that month that I was gone?_

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Exactly twenty-eight minutes later, after a thorough cleaning, Sasuke joined Naruto and (for some reason) Neji, who was also a high-ranking ANBU operative, in the Hokage's office. The place had gotten even messier than the last time he had seen it. And that was really saying something.

As Sasuke entered Neji nodded to him in a silent greeting, which Sasuke returned in kind. Neji wore an ANBU mask of a bird decorated with green paint, even though he was technically allowed to take it off while in the Hokage's office. Sasuke hadn't seen the twenty-year-old without his mask in forever, and he was beginning to forget what he looked like. He hardly talked either. Nowadays, hearing Neji speak was like seeing Shino doing the can-can in a frilly pink dress. It just _didn't happen_.

Sasuke's train of thought ended abruptly when he was addressed. "Ah, just the man I wanted to see. I've been waiting for you, Sasuke. Did you know that you're over two hours late with that recon report I asked you for?" Tsunade asked, lounging behind her desk.

Sasuke growled and tossed a folder onto the already crowded space in front of her. He had cobbled the papers together in the few minutes he had after his return. The folder was light, there hadn't been much to report. The so-called "potential enemy base" in the Lightning Country he had been assigned to watch for a month had turned out to be nothing more than a noble's mansion. Said noble was apparently paranoid and was hiring mercenaries by the truckload to guard his riches. Konoha had sent Sasuke to investigate, and the whole venture had been a massive waste of time. To say that Sasuke was pissed would have been a grotesque understatement.

Tsunade grinned and lobbed a small bag of coins in his direction. Sasuke caught it quirked an eyebrow questioningly.

"Compensation?" he inquired.

"Something like that," she said.

_More like a bribe to get on my good side_, he thought. _Pfft. I guess I should at least give her points for effort_. He pocketed the money and crossed his arms, fully prepared for a good _long_ explanation.

"Well, down to business then," mumbled Tsunade, "You may have already heard, but Naruto was promoted to Taicho of the ANBU Black Ops while you were gone. It was actually quite sudden." She fiddled with a pen, twirling it between her fingers lazily. "The previous Taicho died while out on a mission. In his will he wrote that he wanted Naruto to succeed him instead of following the usual method of promoting his second in command…" she paused and looked him in the eye, "…which was you. Sorry, Sasuke, you got skipped. You answer to Naruto now."

Out of the corner of his eye Sasuke saw Naruto look down in what could have been mistaken for shame. _Does he feel bad that he got promoted instead of me? That idiot…_

"I don't care," Sasuke said. Naruto lifted his head in surprise. It was the truth. In all honesty he never wanted the position, preferring the frontlines rather than all the responsibility that came along with the title. The part that bothered him was the fact that someone thought that Naruto was a better choice than he was. _Huh, me and my stupid ego…_ Sasuke continued, "But that can't be all you have to say, because then Neji wouldn't be here."

Tsunade nodded, "Of course. I have a new mission for you. This one's gonna be a doosy."

She filed through a stack of papers on her desk and pulled out a white mission folder. "Long-term, S-class mission. Primary Objective: secure and protect Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," she said, "Secondary Objective: Find and eliminate a Dark Wizard by the name of 'Lord Voldemort.'"

_Wait, what?_

"Witchcraft and wizards? You've got to be kidding me," said Sasuke incredulously.

Tsunade shook her head, "Nope, I'm dead serious. The wizard who placed the mission request, Albus Dumbledore, is the headmaster of the school, Hogwarts, an old guy who apparently knew the Sandaime. He explained everything in this letter," she handed him the document in question. It was written in English in a green flowing script. Sasuke (who had learned a multitude of languages during his Academy years) could see that she was indeed telling the truth.

"Along with the letter, Dumbledore-san sent us a number of magical items, including a real flying broomstick, as confirmation of his claims that magic does indeed exist." She grinned at the surprised look on his face. "It seems that the shinobi are not the only secretive community in the world."

Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through his soft black hair. His mind was having trouble processing all the new information. Then again maybe he was thinking too much. Really, the Justus he practiced every day really weren't much different than the spells and enchantments that he knew of in children's bedtime stories.

He thought the scenario through, focusing on the basics as much as possible "Right," he sighed, "so all we have to do is secure and protect the school? That sounds easy enough, but what's the catch? Why send us?" Aside from Tsunade herself, Sasuke, Naruto and Neji were the top ninja in the entire village. Surely the job could be completed by those of lesser rank?

"This 'Lord Voldemort' is an especially powerful wizard who is threatening to start a war for the second time in three decades," she said matter-o-factly. "The guy's a freaking maniac. He needs to go down ASAP, if only for our own safety," she paused for a moment, then said, "Actually, he was almost killed fifteen years ago by his own juts- I mean, spell. It rebounded off the child he was trying to murder. That child is the only link we have to this guy. Voldemort has been trying to take revenge on the poor kid repeatedly for the last four years. And that kid goes to Hogwarts." Tsunade shrugged. "Otherwise we have no leads and no idea where to look. Hogwarts is the only way to go. Besides, with Orochimaru and the Akustuki gone, there's nothing huge going on here, so any missions you guys take will be reconnaissance." She smirked at them sadistically. "You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Sasuke, Naruto, and Neji shuddered in sync. _Anything_ was better than recon.

"Fine, I accept the mission."

"Good, now get outta my office. Naruto will brief you on the details. Dismissed."

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_Oh, shit, he's mad at me. I can tell. Crap…_Naruto thought. He was afraid of few things, but _Sasuke_… The thought of losing his friendship after they were finally so close was more than Naruto could bear.

He knew he was being unreasonable. Sasuke would understand, right? He wouldn't blame Naruto…would he?

Naruto, Neji, and Sasuke exited Tsunade's office in complete silence, the usually hyper blond deep in thought. The halls were deserted, not a huge surprise. But Naruto's mind was elsewhere. He didn't know how approach Sasuke on the subject of his promotion. The guy was unreadable when he wanted to be, and Naruto has no idea what to do. He brought his ponytail over his shoulder and began to twirl it between his fingers, a nervous action he had developed since growing his hair out.

_Should I just come out and apologize? Should I wait for him to talk to me? Or maybe we'll never speak of this again. Shit shit shit _shit….

A low voice in the back of his mind growled, _**As amusing as your angsty little inner monologue is, I would appreciate it if you would just shut up already**_

_Stay out of this, Kyuubi, _Naruto retorted, using his chakra to direct his thoughts, _I'm not in the mood._

Over the years, Naruto had become strong enough to form mental ties to the Demon Fox. At first their relationship had been rocky, Kyuubi condescending and Naruto rude, but since then they had formed a steady partnership. Kyuubi provided Naruto with knowledge of jutsus and his youki, while Naruto offered companionship and a vessel for the demon's soul.

_**Just talk to him and get it over with! **_

_It's not that simple, Kyuu! _

_**Hmph. You cubs are so over-dramatic. The longer you wait, the worse things will become. Besides, listening to you whine is boring.**_

_Gee, you're _so_ considerate…_

_**I try. **_

Naruto scoffed. The fox could be annoying sometimes, but…he had a point. He couldn't put this off forever. He resolved that, as soon as they were alone, he would have a word with Sasuke. And if he had anything to say about it, Naruto could just order him to shut up. Oooh… being Sasuke's commanding officer was gonna be fuuuun…

Kyuubi sent a comforting wave of energy into Naruto's consciousness. _**That's the way, kit.**_

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Sasuke and Naruto bid Neji goodnight outside of the Hyuuga Compound. After some discussion the two decided to go to Sasuke's place for the mission debriefing (as Taichou, it was Naruto's responsibility) because it was bigger and better kept than Naruto's tiny apartment. They stopped by the apartment on the way, though, to pick up some heavy, unmarked cardboard boxes. Sasuke was curious, but Naruto was being secretive and refused to reveal their contents until they had gotten to Sasuke's home.

They arrived at the compound somewhat later than expected, slowed down by the hefty boxes. Sasuke obligingly held the door open for Naruto, who darted in and set his load next to the low black leather couch in the center of the main room. Sasuke held back a small chuckle. _Trust Naruto to waltz right in like he owns the place_.

He followed Naruto his large, needlessly ornate home and placed his parcel next to the others. Naruto sat with his back to Sasuke, his head slightly tilted, one hand on his hip, the other twirling through his long blond hair. By his posture, Sasuke could tell that he was thinking _very_ hard.

He frowned. Something was off. Naruto _never_ bothered to think much unless he was sad or in one of his rare emo moods. Sasuke decided to break him out of his reverie.

Sneaking up as silently as ninja-ly possible, the Uchiha pounced, putting Naruto in a headlock and noogie-ing him as ruthlessly as he could. Naruto burst into a fit of helpless laughs and tried to break free of the "attack", but failed miserably, succeeding only in knocking his ANBU mask to the hardwood floor with a clatter. A few seconds later Sasuke had mercy on the poor blonde and released him.

Naruto immediately tackled Sasuke and forced him to the floor.

"HA! Pinned ya!"

"Not on your life," Sasuke growled, pushing his blonde adversary up and taking the offensive.

An intense wrestling match ensued.

Fifteen minutes later, both shinobi reclined tiredly on the leather sofa, Naruto nursing what was quickly becoming a magnificent black eye.

"You didn't have to use your elbow, teme…," he said sourly.

"I said I was sorry, geez. What, you want another one?" Sasuke waved his fist threateningly.

Naruto laughed, "No thanks, I'll leave looking like a raccoon to Gaara." He paused, his smile fading. "…So…are you mad at me?"

Sasuke blinked. _Oh, so that _is_ the reason_… He rested his elbow on the arm of the couch and leaned his cheek on his palm. "I thought I said back in Tsunade-sama's office, I don't care one way or the other. I'm _not_ angry. If that's how it's gonna be, that's how it's gonna be. 'Que sera, sera' and all that."

Naruto stared at him. "Who are you and what have you done with Sasuke? All of those solitary recon assignments must be getting to your head, teme."

"Maybe I'm just too tired to care, and I'll thrash you later."

"Or maybe you're turning into a lazy-ass like Shikamaru."

"Or _maybe_ you're a moron."

"Teme!"

"Dobe."

"Oh, it's on now!"

"Bring it, pansy."

And so a second wrestling match ensued

_Thunk!_

"Crap. Sorry, Naru, it really was an accident this time."

"Heh, by this time tomorrow, I really will look like a blonde Gaara clone. Weird."

Indeed, Naruto was now sporting two black eyes.

All of a sudden, Sasuke remembered what they were supposed to be doing. "Hey, shouldn't we be going over the mission?"

"Oh yeah! Here let me get those boxes and…"

"Wait a sec," Sasuke interrupted.

"Huh? Why?"

"Hold still and you'll see. It's completely painless, I assure you."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?"

Sasuke ignored him and placed his gloved hands over Naruto's bruised eyes. Naruto stiffened, but didn't move away, which Sasuke took as a sign for 'ok, go ahead'.

He let his chakra flow onto Naruto's skin directing it to the damaged tissue and blood vessels around his eyes. The skin turned from black, to purple, to red, and finally back to the light tan that it originally was. Sasuke lowered his hands and sighed. That jutsu was always so tiring for some reason…

"Wow, Sasuke," Naruto said excitedly after feeling the pain fade completely, "when did you learn a medic jutsu?"

Sasuke smirked, "A while ago, actually. Sakura showed me how to do it once." And he could just barely manage it himself. It was truly a wonder how well that girl could perform medic techniques.

"Cool, thanks!" Naruto reached over the arm of the couch and pulled up a box, placing it beside him. He crossed his legs and turned so that he was facing both Sasuke and the box. "Alright, now down to business." He flipped open the lid to reveal…

"…Books?"

Naruto nodded. "Were going to be spending nine months or more in another culture, another _world_, Sasuke. We need to know what we're getting ourselves into. Now, I've already read through these a couple of times (that's why they were in my apartment) so it's your turn. And don't give me that look! It's important information!" He shrugged. "Anyway, we have a month tops before the school year starts so you need to finish those before then."

Naruto set the books aside.

"Our official assignment is to protect the school as a whole, but, really, we need to focus on Harry Potter and his friends and enemies. They're the most likely source for clues on the whereabouts of Voldemort. There's an organization of anti-Voldemort wizards led by Dumbledore called the Order of the Phoenix, but for some reason Dumbledore's buddies don't trust us enough to let us in on their little group's info. So were basically searching blind. Technically we're not allowed to bother the Potter kid… but since when did we play by the rules?"

"So really," Sasuke said, "what we're going to do is follow Potter constantly, and watch his friends and enemies for leads, _and_ guard the _entire _school all at once for nine months straight?"

"Yup, pretty much."

"But how are we supposed to search for Voldemort if we're stuck at the school?"

"Ah, that's where Neji comes in. See, him, Kiba, Shikamaru, Shino, Hinata, and Sakura will be out and about searching of Voldemort around the clock. Every once in a while, one of 'em will come to the school and we'll trade information."

Sasuke nodded. It was a good plan. "So it'll just be us two at the school, then. Anything else?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope, just make sure you read these," he gestured to the box of books, "as soon as possible. We can leave anytime within the next three weeks." He stood, stretched, and picked up his mask from the floor. "And get a new one of these while you're at it. Make it extra spooky so we can freak the students out," He grinned mischievously, "Ya know, for some reason, I think this's gonna be a blast."

Surprisingly, Sasuke couldn't agree more.

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And there you have it. I will continue to post if you review. If not, then, well, your loss.

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And just for fun: Naruto Name Translations! Yaaaaaay!

Naruto steamed fish paste cake(yum), or maelstrom.---Uzumaki Whirlpool.

Sasuke name of a legendary ninja.---Uchiha wa/ha character switch to make "fan" hence the clan symbol.

Sakura cherry blossoms. ---Haruno spring field.

Kakashi scarecrow. ---Hatake dry field.


	2. Chapter 2 Remember

Quick update, just for you guys who reviewed. I will probably not be responding to most of them because of how little time I actually have to write (I do most of this from work). But please know that I _do_ appreciate your comments! Keep 'em coming! They're the fuel that keeps my creative fires burning!!

There won't be many chapters in this, I think, but they will all be fairly long. I like those kind better anyway.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter. Curses! D: 

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Ch.2- Remember

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Two weeks later, Sasuke completed his assigned reading. It had been a surprisingly interesting venture, more so than he had originally thought, anyway. The mission was getting more and more intriguing by the day. He had been especially fascinated by the books on magical creatures. One of them had had an oriental section and he had found a reference to Kitsunes and Youkos. Sasuke knew that Naruto was the (un?)fortunate vessel for the Kyuubi no Kitsune, though he knew very little about Spirit Foxes in general. He spent an entire afternoon comparing what he new about Kyuubi and the information in the text. Surprisingly, most of it was spot on.

After he read all of the texts twice through, he began preparing to leave. He didn't think he would need much. Most necessities would be provided for them, like food, shelter, water, and, of course, hygiene. All he needed to bring were his weapons, armor, and a few changes of clothes. He filled his travel bag with extra kunai and shuriken, and a few exploding letter bombs, soldier pills, and summoning scrolls just in case.

One week before the deadline, Sasuke, fully packed and ready to go, made his way to Naruto's apartment dressed in a plain long-sleeved black turtleneck and slightly tattered jeans. He wore a silver chain around his neck with a little painted metal Uchiha clan symbol dangling at the bottom. In short he dressed as he thought a normal European Muggle teenager would, or at least how the books said they did.

He walked leisurely, in no particular hurry. Late August in Konoha was pleasant, warm, but not unbearably hot as early June and July were, and he fully intended to enjoy his time in his homeland as much as he could. The enormous trees surrounding the village proper would not change colors for some time yet, but when they did he knew they would be a sight to behold, as they were every year. It was a shame he would not be around to see the shift from green to red and gold this year, seeing as he would be at Hogwarts. He wondered idly if the trees around Hogwarts changed as brilliantly as the ones in Konoha did.

As he walked, his mind wandered. He thought back to that day seven years ago when he turned his back on this beautiful country. He had been so desperate for power that he was willing to give everything he had, the village, his friends, and his future.

But…Naruto had chased him all the way to the Valley of the End to bring him back. If it hadn't been for him Sasuke wold have probably never come back at all.

After Sasuke killed Orochimaru and his brother, he had been at a loss. His life's objective had been achieved…what was he to do? He had wandered the forests of the Fire Country in a stupor for days before arriving back at his village. He collapsed by the front gate, too weak, mentally and physically, to go on any longer.

Naruto found him lying there.

Naruto had called for the medics.

Naruto had bullied them into treating Sasuke when they initially refused.

Naruto had convinced Tsunade and the council to give him a second chance.

Naruto…was his savior.

It was Naruto who had nursed him back into stable mental health. He had kept Sasuke distracted from his suicidal tendencies with training, games, and pranks, and just by generally being there. After a year, things had gone back to normal, or as close to normal as they could be. Team seven carried out missions as a unit for a while, then disbanded when Naruto and Sasuke became chuunins at age sixteen, and then Jonins at seventeen, and life carried on. He still had the curse mark and all of its abilities, even if it was contained somewhat. It served as a constant reminder of what he was, and what he could have been.

A year later, a war broke out with the Akatsuki Organization. It was short and brutal, but the result was worth it. Thanks in large part to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, the remaining Akatsuki were eliminated. Naruto and Sasuke were promoted to ANBU status, and Sakura was made second in command of Konoha's medic-nin division under Shizune. The hidden villages had been relatively peaceful ever since.

Sasuke enjoyed that peace. It made him more relaxed, and a little more laid back than he was. He learned to appreciate the little things in life, like the smiles of his friends and the beauty of an autumn sunset. He liked to think he no longer that dark, angry little kid he used to be.

The passage of time had effected Naruto as well. Besides the obvious physical changes (the longer hair and tallness) he was also a little more laid back. Since he stopped being the center of the village's anger and ridicule, due to his effectiveness during the war, he had calmed down drastically. He was still childish, but not in an immature, prank-pulling, want-to-kick-him-in-the-face kind of way. He had retained his happy-go-lucky attitude even though he had matured. He was still the only person who could make aloof Uchiha truly smile.

Sasuke continued on toward Naruto's apartment, barely paying attention as the pushed past crowds of people on the main streets. He had walked this path so many times before, his legs took him where he wanted to go automatically. When he finally made it to the familiar complex, he gazed up at the tall building and debated climbing the stairs as usual, but decided to challenge himself. He _was_ a top ninja after all.

He scouted out the most difficult route on the surrounding rooftops and, after adjusting his travel pack, leapt high into the air, purposefully putting more spin into it than usual so that he could practice his flips. He jumped and flipped all the way to the tenth floor and landed right in front of Naruto's room without even breaking a sweat, exactly as he had planned. _Perfect_, he thought smugly.

It was mid afternoon, so Naruto was likely to be home. He let himself in (the door was unlocked as usual, Naruto had a bad habit of forgetting to lock it) dropping his luggage by the front door as he crossed the threshold.

"Oi, Naruto!" he called out, "I'm ready, let's get a move on."

Naruto poked his head sleepily around the corner from his bedroom, his hair slightly messier than usual and wearing a baggy black nightshirt and orange sweatpants. "Sasuke? Whatchoo doin 'ere so early?"

He sighed. "Naru, it's three in the afternoon."

Naruto scratched the back of his head thoughtfully, "…Huh. Really?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Figures." He shook his head so that his long unbound hair shifted back into place. "So, you're ready to go, right? Lemme just get changed an' I'll be right out." He turned back to his room to do just that.

Sasuke sat patiently on Naruto's ratty old couch. Actually, the couch wasn't all that bad, aside from the tattered upholstery. In fact it was downright cozy. The years of wear and tear seemed to have tempered the seats into the softest and most wonderful things he had ever had the privilege to sit on. Still sore from his month-long mission, Sasuke reveled in the comfort it provided. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes and fully relaxed, taking in the sounds and smells of Naruto's apartment. Rustling from the bedroom (_Naruto getting dressed_), birds chirping outside an open window_ (how naïve of him, to leave a window open all night_), and the lingering smell of cooking wafting lazily from the kitchen (_last night's ramen, probably_).

A few peaceful minutes passed before Naruto emerged.

"So, whaddya think? Muggle enough for you?"

Sasuke, who had almost fallen asleep on the most awesome couch in existence, lifted his head up lazily to inspect Naruto's "disguise."

The fist thing he noticed was the complete lack of anything orange, which by itself was a shock. But even more interesting was that it had all been replaced by black. He wore a black hoodie, black combat boots, and torn baggy jeans that were so dark a blue that it didn't matter. His sunny blonde hair was tied back in to a low ponytail, and to top it all off he had a black beanie with the kanji for "Red Fox" sewn in silver on the front.

Sasuke raised a dark eyebrow. "Hm. Black. Going emo, are we?"

"Tch, you're the emo one here, not me, dumbass."

Sasuke lifted his hands in defeat. "I stand humbly corrected. You don't look emo, you're gothic. Though how you, of all people, pulled it off is something the I may never understand."

"Teme…!"

"It was a _compliment_, usuratonkachi. It translates roughly into 'good job'," Sasuke said, amused. "Seriously, though, what brought on this rather abrupt and drastic change in wardrobe? _Uzumaki Naruto_ without _orange_? It must be the end of the world as we know it."

Naruto glared a little with those piercing blue eyes of his, but surprisingly didn't answer.

"Fine. Be that way." Sasuke stood and stretched, and added a yawn for good measure. He glanced briefly around the apartment. "Have you packed your things yet? I don't see your luggage anywhere."

A wide grin suddenly appeared on Naruto's face. "Oh, yeah! I forgot, I've got something cool to show you! C'mere for a sec…" He ran off back into his bedroom. Sasuke followed belatedly, opting to hover in the doorframe rather than enter the room entirely. He didn't like it when others went into his room without explicit permission, so he did not assume Naruto's preferences would be any different.

"Yo, Sasuke, are you deaf? Get your ass in here, I want to show ya something!"

_Then again, I could be wrong…_

He did as he was told, noting with some surprise as he entered that the bedroom was well kept. The floor didn't have clothes piled sky high as one would have expected from a teenager. Books and scrolls were neatly organized on bookshelves near the open window, and a line of pictures adorned a small wooden table. The only thing that looked out of place was the unmade bed, but that was understandable since Naruto had been awake barely fifteen minutes. Overall it was not something Sasuke would have expected out of someone as active as Naruto.

The blonde ninja himself was currently digging around in his closet, shifting boxes and looking through containers. He mumbled under his breath, "Crap…where'd I put it…"

Sasuke, figuring it would be a while before Naruto found…whatever it was, decided to take a seat on the end of the bed. So he sat, but immediately jump back up with an undignified yelp as something small and sharp clamped itself onto his backside. He staggered awkwardly into middle of the room, but the thing did not release him. He reached around to his rear end cautiously and jumped slightly when the tips of his fingers met soft fur. _Fur? An animal? _He grabbed the offending creature gently where he thought the scruff of its neck would be and pulled. It released it grip, and Sasuke was free to get a good look at it.

"…A fox?" Sasuke asked, bewildered. Indeed he then held in his hands a small innocent-looking kit with tawny fur and a mischievous grin on its face. He scowled at it. "Naruto, since when do you own a pet fox?"

"Huh?" was the intelligent reply. Naruto, distracted from his search, turned to see what all the ruckus was about. "Ah! Neru! Why is Sasuke glaring at you? Did you do something bad?" The kit -Neru- squirmed and wriggled in Sasuke's grasp. Sasuke set it down on the hardwood floor and it scampered over to his owner and jumped lightly onto his shoulder. It growled and yipped into Naruto's ear, Naruto nodding as if he understood. Then he gasped suddenly, "Sasuke! You sat on Neru! You meanie, what did he ever to you?"

"I didn't do it on purpose!"

"Then say you're sorry!" Naruto held little Neru up to Sasuke's face so that they were nose-to-snout. "Now," he demanded. Neru looked at him with those cute, sad eyes, and Sasuke's heart melted. How could anyone say no to that?

"Fine, I'm sorry…"

Neru gave a happy yip and licked Sasuke's nose. He promptly sneezed.

"There, all better now," Naruto said cheerfully. He replaced Neru on his shoulder while he resumed his search. "About Neru…" he began, "I found him in my refrigerator a few months ago."

Sasuke stared. "In your refrigerator?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, weird isn't it? Having foxes come to visit every once in a while isn't really that strange, with the Kyuubi and all, but having one stuck in the fridge is a first for me. I still haven't figured out how he got in there. It must've been cold in there, right buddy? " He paused to scratch Neru behind the ears. "This little guy is an orphan, like me and you. He said his parents were killed in a territory dispute." Naruto sighed. "He was too young to look after himself, so I took him in. But now that he's older he refuses to leave, so I've decided to keep him." He went back to rummaging furiously through the closet. "I thought about it for a long time, and I've decided to take him with us to England."

"What? Why?"

"Because he's useful. He can get into places we can't. And no one would pay much attention to him, because he's an animal, so I could have him eavesdrop on people and relay the info to me."

Sasuke pondered that for a moment, then asked, "So you can understand Neru perfectly, then?"

"Yup! Just one more thing the Kyuubi's good for! I can talk to birds and cats, too. I haven't tried any others, though… who knows? Maybe I can talk to all kinds of animals."

"Hmm…that could come in handy."

Naruto just sighed, "Ugh, but sometimes they just don't shut up. Birds can go on for _hours_… Oh, here it is! Finally!"

Sasuke perked up. It seemed that the search was over. Naruto stood and presented his findings proudly, but Sasuke was a little disappointed.

"That's just a bookbag, Naru. You spent ten minutes looking for _this_?"

Naruto just smiled, "It's not just any old bookbag, my friend. It's a _magical_ bookbag!"

"…"

"Aw, c'mon be a little excited! We got this in the package Dumbledore-san sent us! It's legit! Here, I'll show you…" He hurriedly unzipped the top flap and reached in. A second later he pulled out his ANBU katana.

Sasuke's eyes flew wide open. The full-length katana was far too long to fit in the small bookbag. It should not have been physically possible, and yet he had seen it happen right in front of him. He snatched the bag from Naruto's hands and peered inside. Nothing. He couldn't see anything, not even the bottom of the bag itself. It was dark, like some kind of miniature black hole. Naruto laughed, "_Now_ you're interested. There's a separate dimension inside that can hold as much as you want, so there's no limit on how many things you can carry with you at once. As long as it is big enough to fit through the hole, that is. To get stuff out you stick your arm in an' think about what you want and it will appear in your hand. Cool, right?"

"Y-yeah…" was all Sasuke could manage.

"This one has all of my stuff in it. We'll get you one later." Naruto retrieved the bookbag and slung it over a shoulder the one opposite of Neru. "Okay, I'm ready to leave when you are," He said.

Sasuke came back to his senses. "Sure, my stuff's by the door. Where exactly are we going, anyway? How are we going to get to England?"

Naruto thought about it as they walked to the main room of the apartment. "Ya know, I'm not really sure how were going to get there, but Tsunade-baa-chan said she had something in mind, so we'll stop by there first."

"'Something in mind?' Coming from her that doesn't sound good."

"Tell me about it."

----------------------------

The trip to Tsunade's office was uneventful. Sasuke only had to carry a travel bag and a small suitcase that held his weapons, but he was still eager to get one of those "separate dimension" carry-alls. They talked about the mission on the way and Sasuke learned that Neji, Sakura, and Shino had already left to follow up a new vague lead in Bulgaria and Hinata, Kiba, and Shikamaru would be leaving for Scotland in the next few days.

As they walked through the crowded streets of Konoha Sasuke noted how differently he and Naruto were treated by the general public. The look in their eyes said it all. In the beginning it had been "Naruto the Troublemaker" who had received nothing but hatred, and "Sasuke the Tragic Prodigy" who had gotten nothing but pity. Now it was "Naruto the War Hero" and "Sasuke the Traitor." Their eyes screamed anger and distrust even then, four years after his return to service. Sasuke sighed. _And I deserve every ounce of it._

When they neared the Hokage building, they veered off the path into the sparse trees to the right, around to the rear. Then, using a form of the tree-climbing jutsu, they scaled the wall leisurely until they came to the ledge beneath the window to Tsunade's office. From there it was a simple matter of swinging oneself over the ridge and tapping on the glass for admittance. This particular attempt was somewhat clumsy on their part, because they were not used to their new baggy clothes, and because of Neru clinging desperately to Naruto's shoulder.

"Ouch! Sasuke, look out, stupid, you almost knocked me off!"("Yip yip!" Neru agreed.)

"You shouldn't have come up when you did. I thought I was going first."

"Why do you always have to do everything first!?" ("Yip! Bark!?" said Neru angrily)

"Because I'm older than you."

"Only by three months!"("Bark!")

"I turned twenty last month. You're still nineteen. "

"What!" Naruto gasped. "Your birthday was last month?"("Arooo?" said Neru curiously)

"July 23rd," Sasuke confirmed.

"Gah! That's right! I didn't even get you a present!" He slumped. "Some friend I am…I can't believe I forgot your birthday."("Whine…" Neru sighed sadly.)

Sasuke patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Getting away from recon for nine months is enough of a present for the next ten years combined."

"Yeah, but still…"

A loud rattle interrupted them as Tsunade opened her window. "Oi, you guys gonna sit out there all day? Do you want something or not?"

Naruto, startled by her sudden intrusion, nearly fell off of the ledge again, but Sasuke caught him by the front of his hoodie before he completely lost his balance. "Y-yeah," he stammered, "we're ready to leave for England."

"Fine then," she said, beckoning them inside with a wave of her hand.

Sasuke pulled Naruto up to a more level spot on the ridge, but he didn't let go until he was sure he could stay up. Satisfied, he climbed silently through window, Naruto trailing behind him. He touched down gingerly, careful not to step on any paperwork. The unruly mess seemed to have migrated from her desk and was now forming mountains across the room.

Tsunade made her way to her desk and sat. "Why can't you just use the door, like normal people?" she sighed.

"Were ANBU, Baa-chan," Naruto answered, "we don't use doors. It's un-cool."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Whatever, you miscreant." She shifted through the papers and packages in front of her and produced the letter that Dumbledore had written. She tossed it to Naruto, who caught it easily. "Look on the back. There are instructions on how to get to Europe."

---------

Naruto scanned the reverse of the thick paper (_parchment_, he corrected himself, _like the kind we use to make scrolls_) for said directions. Indeed, there was more of the emerald green ink scrawled on it. Naruto wrinkled his nose. _Ugh, more English. Oi, Kyuubi, help me out, would ya?_

Kyuubi stirred tiredly. _**Oh? The little Taicho needs help reading?**_ He made a show of yawning. _**Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Perhaps eventually, perhaps never.**_

_Aw, come on! Don't be such a lazy bum_. He turned his tone high pitched and childish. _Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?_

The Fox Lord grunted_** Augh, fine, if only to save my own ears from your incessant badgering**_

_Yay!_

**Now hold it up so I can see it, idiot. And read aloud as I translate so the Uchiha brat can hear, too. I don't want to do this more than once. **Naruto did so, Kyuubi looking through his eyes via their chakra connection, and Kyuubi recited, his host echoing out loud:

_To the Receivers of the Request,_

_It is my most humble pleasure to thank you for accepting my plea. However, I expect you to have some difficulty finding the magical community on your own, as you have little in the way of physical ties to us. I would have liked to have sent you a Portkey, but as this is not a Ministry approved transaction, I will not risk making my own and getting both parties into political peril. I would like your arrival to be conducted as secretly as possible. Though for people such as yourselves, this should not be difficult. You should consider the first phase to be one of the "under-cover" variety._

_In the package you have received along with the letter, there should have been a small pouch containing Floo Powder. This will be the means by which you will arrive in a pub interestingly dubbed "The Leaky Cauldron." Simply add a pinch of the powder into any active fireplace, step into the flames, and call out the name of your intended destination, and you should get there in one piece. Someone will be waiting for you to give you further instructions._

_Good luck to you and best wishes,_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry _

"Great. Floo Powder," Sasuke sighed as Naruto finished. "From the books we read it doesn't sound pleasant."

"I think we have a bigger problem than that, Sasuke," Naruto said, worried. He removed the Carry-All Pack (as it was now called) from his shoulder and extracted a small red velvet drawstring pouch. "We have the Powder here, but what about the fireplace? They aren't exactly a common sight around here, y'know."

Sasuke brushed that off easily. "Oh, I think any open flame will work. It _should_ work, in theory, anyway. The fireplace part is probably just traditional."

"So, we'll start a bonfire?"

"Yeah, that should do it. But it should be big one."

"Why don't we do Baa-chan a favor and use her paperwork as kindling?" Naruto suggested, grinning. "There's plenty of it just lying around, and the office could use a little cleaning out."

Tsunade growled threateningly behind him, "Do that, and I'll kick you into the next century."

He just laughed at that. "That's if you can catch me first, granny!"

"Why you little-!" She lunged at him, but Naruto was too quick. He dodged to the side and up onto the windowsill, Sasuke following just as swiftly with a small smirk on his face.

Naruto stuck his tongue out mockingly at the Godaime. "Nya! See you next summer, you old fart!" And with that, he and Sasuke jumped off the sill and out of sight.

---------

Roughly ten minutes later the two ANBU had created a rather large, strong bonfire, courtesy of the local forest and carefully controlled fire jutsu that was Sasuke's specialty. He had designed the jutsu so that the fire would fizzle out immediately if he was more than ten meters away from it, so that when they left there would be no danger of a forest fire in their wake. But that was the easy part…

Naruto stared into the fire with a serious expression, and said slowly, "So, how should we do this? Who'll go first?"

The Uchiha thought it over before answering, "Actually, it would probably be best if we went at the same time. There are no rules against it, from what I've read. And that way if we got lost, at least we would still be together."

Naruto saw the logic in that reasoning. He did _not_ want to be alone in a strange, foreign place.

"And," Sasuke continued, "even though it's ANBU policy to hide our identities, if were going to blend in, I think we shouldn't cover our faces much, and definitely not with our masks. It'll look suspicious. No one in Europe will know us anyway, so it shouldn't matter in the long run."

"Gaaah," Naruto said in exasperation, "You should have been promoted to Taicho, not me. You're so much better at this kind of thing."

Sasuke shrugged.

"Okay, let's get going." The blonde ninja pulled the bag of Floo Powder from the pocket of his hoodie. "Neru, c'mere." He picked up his little friend and slid him gently into the large pocket. It was a snug fit, but it was safe. "Hold on tight, buddy."

He turned to the bonfire and tossed a generous pinch of Floo Powder into the heart of the flames. They immediately turned an eerie green and danced even higher than before.

Naruto turned to his best friend, who was eyeing the fire apprehensively.

"Ready?"

Sasuke took a deep breath to steady himself. "Yeah. Let's go." He placed a hand firmly on Naruto's shoulder and gripped the dark fabric. "Now or never."

They stepped into the surprisingly cool flames together and shouted clearly, "Leaky Cauldron!"

The trees around them spun into blurred shapes with blinding speed. Sasuke's grip on Naruto tightened slightly, and they were off.

------------------------------------

Okay, a few things to touch on here, in case it wasn't clear.

Firstly, my storyline stops following cannon after the events at the Valley of the End. In my little world, Sasuke kills Orochimaru and Itachi on his own, and returns to the village. Then there's a big war with the Akatsuki, and Naruto and Sasuke are promoted to ANBU as a result.

I think older-Naruto would ditch the orange eventually. It's not exactly a good color for an ANBU. Or any successful ninja for that matter.

I don't think I recall Naruto's room being all that messy in the anime or manga. It must be because of all the time he spends outside.

Hee, hee, Sasuke got bit on the ass. Naruto needed a pet, so why not a fox, even if it's reeeeally cliché?

And because of Kyuubi (who is super old, like 1000+ or something) Naruto understands lots of languages, including those of animals.

Writing Neru's dialogue was hard. I don't speak fox. Dumbledore's letter was hard, too, for some reason. His name is cool.

Has anyone seen an enormous wizard-style fireplace in the Naruto universe before? I haven't. But please, correct me if I'm wrong.

And finally, if Sasuke seems like a wuss about the Floo Powder thing, there is a good reason. He's going into an uncertain situation where he won't be in much control. So naturally, for someone who is used to being in control of most everything he does, he would be a little tentative.

------

Also, who do you think they should meet in the Leaky Cauldron? Lupin? Mr. Weasly? I need ideas, people. (Not Harry, though, I'm using him for something else. Egad! A _spoiler_!)


	3. Chapter 3 Realize

Note: This chapter has replaced the previous notice.

OH. MY. GOSH.

It's been over a month since I last updated! I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE!

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!!! It really helped me get motivated to write! I've finally settled in my new house (In Colorado, yay!) but I still don't have my own computer, and I still don't have a job. I'm writing this on my neighbor's computer (she's sooooo nice :3) but it's still hard.

Enough about me, on with the story!!!!

This chapter was originally 13 pages in microsoft word, so I split it into to halves. There's alot of information in this chapter...it was fun to write though.

...in case you're wondering why all of the chapter titles begin with "r"...I really have no idea. There are some really interesting r words, so why not?

Disclaimer: Nope, not today. BUT SOMEDAY I WILL, MARK MY WORDS!!! –dun dun dun-

_Thinking_

"Speaking"

"_Speaking in a language the current point of view cannot understand but is written so that you can under stand_"

---------------------------

One week earlier…

A joyous yelp of "Harry!" was all the warning he got before he was tackled to the floor outside the bedrooms by an armful of Hermione Granger. Harry had only arrived seconds before at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London, before being hurried up the rickety stairs with a gruff (and confusing) order from Professor Moody ("Get upstairs and stay silent, boy! Wouldn't want to wake anything up.") Hermione's grip was vice-like and somewhat painful, but the wind had been forcibly knock out of him by the impact, and he couldn't manage more than a pained wheeze.

"Easy, 'Mione! Loosen up a bit, he can't breathe!" said Ron worriedly behind them.

She finally released him, apologizing, "Oh, Harry! I'm so sorry!"

Harry rubbed his sides gingerly, checking for cracked ribs. "'S all right. Thanks for the save, Ron."

"Any time, mate" Ron said grinning.

"Ssssshhh!" came a hiss from downstairs. "You'll wake something up!" It sounded like Molly Weasly, if he wasn't mistaken. Harry realized they must have been making quite some racket, and suggested that they all move into the bedroom. They did so, Harry closing the door softly behind him. He turned to face his best friends.

"So, what is this place, anyway?"

As she and Ron sat together on one of the newly-made beds, Hermione answered, "It's the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."

"I know _that_, but what _is_ the Order of the Phoenix?"

Ron spoke up this time, "A bunch of witches and wizards who want to kick You-Know-Who's scrawny pale ass."

"Ronald!"

"What? It's true."

But Harry wasn't listening. "Wait, an Anti-Voldemort group? Sign me up!"

Ron twitched violently at the name and Hermione gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, they say you have to be of age to join. At the very least out of school."

_What!?_ "Why!?" he demanded.

She winced, "Please don't yell, we wanted to join too."

_POP!_

Fred and George materialized suddenly on top of their youngest brother, who squawked indignantly at the sudden intrusion of his personal space.

"Yes, it's a shame, isn't it, Harry?"

"We're old enough to use magic legally now-"

"And even we weren't allowed to enlist in the noble cause-"

"But hope is not all lost my friend-"

"For we have in our possession-"

"The wonderful-"

"The miraculous-"

"The appropriately-named- "

"Extendable Ears!" The twins completed in chorus.

It took Harry a moment to respond, thrown off as he was by their rapid-fire dialogue. "Extendable –what, now?"

"I daresay a demonstration is in order, don't you think so, George?"

"Oh, yes, Fred, I quite agree."

The next thing Harry knew, the twins had linked arms with him and dragged him backward out of the bedroom, heels skidding all the way. He could see Ron and Hermione following, the former thoroughly amused the latter wondering if she should come to his rescue or not.

A few seconds later the twins released him on the landing and he was free to jerk away and ask_ 'just what the heck're you doing!' _But he was silenced by Fred-or-George with a gesture. The other twin reached into his jeans pocket and produced what appeared to be a thick flesh-colored length of yarn. He pointed to Harry's eyes and then to the string, obvious sign language for, "Don't ask. Watch."

He leaned over the railing and brought the string up to one ear. It became longer and longer until it was long enough to touch the ground. (_Oh_, Harry thought, Extendable _Ears. Right_.) Then, quietly and cautiously, it snaked its way across the ground floor and poked under the door to what Harry believed to be the kitchen. Fred's face (for it was indeed Fred who was operating the Ear, Harry finally realized) was radiating sheer concentration as he tried to get the positioning just right. But he brightened up shortly and cheerily gestured for Harry to come closer.

He did so and Fred placed the Ear in his hand. Harry cautiously brought it up to his own non-extendable ear (for you could never be too careful when it came to the Weasly twins) and was instantly rewarded by the voices of those in the kitchen, as clear as if he had been standing in the room with them.

"…really think it's safe? The guards two years ago were a fiasco. They almost Kissed Harry!" That was Mrs. Weasly.

"It's different now, Molly. Dumbledore was clear in his distrust of the Dementors. This time, he has professed his great faith in the new guards. He seemed to be quite familiar with them, in fact." Kingsley.

"I still don't like it," Moody grumbled, "What did he call them? Own-boo, or something. Sounds like eastern gibberish to me."

"That's ANBU, Mad-Eye. Though it is strange that none of us have even heard of them before…"Mrs. Weasly wondered aloud.

"Dumbledore told me that they were like an organization of mercenaries." Kingsley supplied. "That they'll do near anything for pay, everything from finding lost pets to being hired killers. They'd do anything for the right price, and do anything to make sure the contract was fulfilled. Or so he said."

Momentary silence, then-

"Oh, dear. I'm not sure I like the sound of that."

"At least they're on our side."

"Can you be so su-"

Suddenly the debate was cut off by an amused, "Well, well, well_, what_ do we have here?" Harry jumped at the incriminating adult voice that was most definitely _not_ coming from the Extendable Ear. "Only ten minutes after your arrival and already you've been caught eavesdropping. You're slipping Harry. I know you can be more covert than this."

_Wait, that voice!_ Harry whipped around and sure enough, standing behind him with a cocky smile on his face was…

"_Sirius!_"

He tackled his godfather with all the pent up frustration the summer had brought him and pulled him into a tight, desperate hug. Staggering a bit under the onslaught of affection, Sirius returned the favor and Harry positively _melted_. It just felt so _good_ to be back with the only real family he had left.

Sirius patted Harry on the head a few times in a fatherly sort of way before pushing him back gently. He gave him an evaluating look. "Seriously, though. That was the most lousy attempt at sneaking I've ever seen in my life. Next time, try not to hang yourself halfway over the top landing of a staircase while listening in on a private conversation, eh?"

Harry gave him and embarrassed smile.

Suddenly Sirius frowned slightly, "So, what did you manage to hear?"

_Great. This is the part where I get in trouble_. He wondered nervously how just much the Order didn't want him to know. "Just something about new guards. I'm guessing for Hogwarts."

Though he was expecting a negative reaction, his godfather's face looked relieved. "Ah, that's fine, then. We were planning on telling you all about that anyway." After a brief moment of thought he added, "You want to go join the conversation now?"

"Huh? Really?"

His godfather nodded. "It's non-Order related, and it'll be public information soon enough, so I don't see why not." He glanced over his shoulder toward the bedroom door and called, "You can all come too."

Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George shuffled sheepishly from the dark room they had fled to (and left harry on the landing to get caught), each one agonizing over their possible punishments. Sirius noted the pained expressions on their faces.

"Oh, don't look at me like that. I'll tell you what. George, give me one of those interesting strings and I won't tell your mother you've been dropping some serious eaves _again_."

George immediately fished a spare Ear from his jean pocket, and handed it to dark-haired man, who placed it in his coat pocket with a satisfied, mischievous grin.

"Now, then. Shall we?"

----

An hour and a very tasty and fulfilling dinner later (both for his stomach and his mind) Harry had a vague grasp on the guard idea. Mrs. Weasly was hesitant to say anything on the subject of course, but Sirius' argument that it was soon to be common knowledge had convinced her to discuss it over the evening meal. The Order didn't have much information on them, however. In fact, all they really knew for sure, other than what Harry had heard on the Ear, was that they were definitely of a foreign organization of some kind. They didn't know exactly who, how many, or how much authority they would have at Hogwarts when the term began the following week.

The entire situation sounded fishy to Harry. But he trusted in Dumbledore's judgement, so he did nothing to give his suspicions voice.

----

The next six days were mostly spent dodging Order members, who were popping in and out of Grimmauld Place with surprising frequency, and a disgruntled house-elf (Kretcher) who seemed intent on hoarding every last Black family artifact into the tiny boiler room at the base of the stairs. The chaotic activity did not last long for Harry, who was preparing to depart for Diagon Alley for the annual before-school shopping with the Weasleys and Hermione.

After Mrs. Weasley's last minute checks ("Everyone have their trunks? Owls? Cats? Socks?" etc., etc….) They each in turn took a pinch of Floo Powder from the mantle and disappeared into the roaring kitchen fire.

----

Harry thanked his lucky stars as he made a firm, steady landing in the Leaky Cauldron pub, exactly where he had intended to be, and breathed a slow sigh of relief. Recalling back to his first use of the Floo Network, he was rather proud of his successful arrival.

He brushed himself off, taking care to move away from the fireplace so that the next member of their group could come through without crashing into him. Glancing around he noticed an unusual lack of customers in the pub. But on second thought he realized it was ten o'clock in the morning. Not exactly prime time.

He caught Hermione's bushy hair out of the corner of his eye and went to stand with her and the rest of the group at the front desk.

"...Ah, yes," Mr. Weasley was saying serenely to the innkeeper, "and how much will four rooms cost?" His face fell slightly at the answer, but he nevertheless opened his wallet and paid, the wallet looking woefully empty afterwards. A wash of guilt swept through Harry and he couldn't help but speak up.

"Mr. Weasley, I can pay on my own…" but he was immediately silenced by a laugh.

"Don't be silly, Harry! It's no trouble, no trouble at all!" With that Mr. Weasley recovered his luggage, mumbled a "good day" to the innkeeper, and trundled loudly up the stairs, his heavy suitcases making a ruckus each time they made contact with the wood.

He sighed in defeat. The redheads always denied his attempts to pay for his own things.

"Come, on Harry!" Ron called from the stairs, "We get our own room this time! No more sharing with Fred and George!"

-----

Only a few minutes and a minor pillow fight later Harry and Ron were seated comfortably in the dining area of the Leaky Cauldron. Ron had once again challenged his friend to a game of chess and, once again, Harry was putting up a valiant fight but was losing nonetheless. He didn't particularly mind, though. He thought that one of these days he might actually beat Ron, or at least tie him. But, sadly, today wasn't the day.

"Checkmate," said Ron calmly. Harry sighed. Nope, defiantly not today. With a scrape of chair-on-wooden-floor, Ron stood and gathered Harry's sadly mangled chess pieces off the table, along with his mostly intact ones. "Wow, Harry. You've lost poorly before, but this is just ridiculous. I'll have to ask Hermione or Mum to fix these for me before tomorrow." He made a makeshift pocket out of his shirt and stepped carefully up the stairs, making sure not to drop any pieces and harm them any further.

Harry shivered slightly. Without the chess game there wasn't anything to keep his mind off of the unusual September cold snap England was experiencing. Edging his chair closer to the fireplace, he leaned in to soak up some extra warmth. He relaxed as heat enveloped him, quite comfortable now that the goosebumps were gone. But alas, it was not to last.

Without warning, the flames suddenly flashed green and grew larger. Recognizing the signs of a Floo Powder arrival, Harry tried to move back, but he was too slow. Two bodies tumbled out of the fire and into his lap knocking him and the chair to the floor with a loud smack.

Harry groaned. Though impact had jostled him a bit, he felt all right. He stood, staggering slightly. _Must've landed on my leg funny… _he thought.

"_ITAI!_"

Harry whipped his head around to the source of the sudden exclamation. One of the people who had just careened out of the fire had slipped and fallen squarely on his back on the hard wood floor. The stranger sat up slowly, then stood, looking somewhat disoriented.

He was wearing all black with blue jeans, and a black hat with some foreign writing covered a head of long blonde hair with was pulled back into a ponytail. He had three thin markings (tattoos?) on each cheek that reminded him instantly of whiskers, and appeared to be around Harry's own age, perhaps older, judging by height (he was a few inches taller than Harry himself).

The curious blonde newcomer was presently rubbing the side of his head furiously, as if nursing an injury, which he probably was. He turned to his black haired companion on the floor, who had the bridge of his nose pinched between his fingers and his eyes screwed shut. "Oi, Sasuke," he said in an exotic sounding language Harry couldn't even begin to understand, "daijoubu ka?"

"Urusai, Naruto…" the dark haired one mumbled. He too stood, though a bit more steadily than his friend did. "Orera wa doko ka?"

The blonde shrugged. "Doukana…Riiki Karudureno?"

"Sou desu…?"

"Aa…kamoshirenai."

They both paused and glanced around curiously, the blonde one still massaging his head. Just then, Harry put two and two together and realized something. _They must be lost! Maybe they got off at the wrong fireplace!_ Heaven knows it happened to him before. Harry sympathized.

"Ah, hello…? Are you okay? Are you lost?" he asked slowly, in case the two didn't speak English.

They both turned back to stare at him blankly. _Yeah. Definitely don't speak English._

----

"_Ah, hello…? Are you okay? Are you lost?"_

Sasuke turned away from his survey of the room (pub? tavern?) when he was addressed in a vaguely familiar language…English? Well, at least the language was right. From his readings he had learned that Floo Powder travel was risky business. If you weren't careful, you could end up anywhere. Like Africa. That would not be good in any sense of the word.

The speaker was a young boy, with messy black hair and green eyes, which were hidden behind round glasses that reminded him faintly of Kabuto. The concern in his voice was evident, and Sasuke managed to decipher most of what he had said, picking out key words like "hello," "you," and "lost," but he frowned at his own disability to understand completely. Reading English was one thing, actually speaking it seemed to be another matter altogether. He should have paid more attention in the Foreign Language class at the Academy.

Sasuke was about to respond, but Naruto beat him to it. He piped up in near perfect, though heavily accented English, "_We don't know. This is The Leaky Cauldron, ne?"_

Sasuke bristled. Curse Naruto and his random abilities. Honestly, you never knew what kind of trick he could pull out nowhere. Sasuke vowed to practice his English more, if only to catch up with his friend. He hadn't thought the language barrier would be this much of a problem when they left.

"_Y-yeah, it is!_" The English boy sounded surprised, probably that Naruto could speak the language. That much Sasuke could tell from the inflections in his voice.

"_Good, good! No, not lost, then._" Naruto responded grinning. "Hey, Sasuke, he says were in the right place."

"Peachy," he replied caustically, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. "Now what? Where's the guy who's supposed to meet us?" Sasuke glanced at the boy, who was looking on curiously. "It can't be this kid." _It'd better not be._

"Yeah, you're right. I wonder wh-" Naruto began, but was instantly cut off by the sound of the front door opening. Usually this occurrence would have gone largely unnoticed, but seeing as how the pub was completely empty except for the three by the fireplace, they all spared a glance at the ruffled-looking newcomer. The English-speaking boy reacted first.

"_Professor Lupin!_" He exclaimed, rushing over too greet the worn man.

"_Ah, good morning!_" he replied warmly, "_I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. I was just here on my way to meet someone here. Two someones in fact. Rather short-notice, you see_."

"_So soon? What do you mean?_" he shook his head and changed the topic. "_Wait, two people just fell out of the fireplace. Maybe they're the ones you are supposed to meet? They look kind of lost, but they say they're in the right place, so maybe they're waiting for you?_" He gestured behind him at Naruto, who tense and straight-backed for some reason, and Sasuke, who had long since lost track of the conversation, though he was trying his best to look as though he understood every word.

The worn-out teacher ("Professor Lupin," they boy had called him) gazed at them solemnly. "_That would depend on their response to this…_"He raised his hand and Sasuke stiffened. His instinctual reaction was unwarranted, however. Lupin's hand traveled to his throat and fiddled with some kind of shiny silvery device. "Hello, and welcome to the Leaky Cauldron. I am Lupin Remus. Are you from The Village Hidden in the Leaves?" He asked in perfect, unaccented Japanese.

Sasuke gaped, but only for a moment. _The device around his neck…it must be some type of enchantment for translation purposes_, he reasoned. This time he spoke before Naruto did, "That depends. Who sent you?"

Lupin smiled knowingly. "Your employer, of course. Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I do believe the letter he sent to your Godaime was written in green ink, was it not?"

Sasuke nodded. The man had provided enough information to confirm his connection with Dumbledore. Satisfied, he bowed as much as his pride would allow him to. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Naruto doing the same. "What are your orders, sir?" they said in unison, as was ANBU custom when addressing a superior.

The poor man looked flustered. "Now, now, there's no need for bowing! I'm just a messenger, so please treat me as you would anyone else."

_Gladly_, Sasuke thought, as he stood straight again. His eyes flicked to the black haired boy and said, "We should take this somewhere a bit more private. Even if he can't understand us."

"Yes, you're quite right." He fiddled with his translating device once more and turned to the young man. "_Wait here. I'll be back in a few minutes_." He gestured to the two shinobi and walked out of the pub into a back room.

The round room was small and poorly lit by a single gas lamp, and contained nothing but a circular table and four wooden chairs. Lupin took one and Sasuke and Naruto took two directly opposite him. Naruto sat rigidly, his piercing blue eyes never once leaving Lupin, Sasuke noticed, and he had not said a word since meeting the contact. _What has him so uptight all of a sudden, _he wondered.

"So," Lupin said, once more in Japanese, "down to business. Just as a confirmation, you two are indeed the guards Professor Dumbledore hired one month ago?"

"Yes," Sasuke answered when Naruto didn't speak.

"Forgive me, but you seem so…young."

Sasuke sighed. He had expected this. "We've been doing this professionally for seven years. Age has no effect on skill," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Lupin did not seem convinced but he did not press the subject. "Right then." He pulled a folder out from the front of his tattered robes and pulled out a sheet of parchment and a Muggle pen. "For the record, what are your names? An alias will do fine. The teachers just need something to address you by in case of emergency."

"I'm Fox," Naruto finally said, though is voice was tight.

"Then I'll be Crow," Sasuke answered, deciding to go a long with the theme.

Lupin copied it down on his parchment. "You'll want those to be in English, I expect. Not Kitsune or Karasu?" They both nodded. "Very well, then." After jotting down the quick note, he folded the parchment and replaced it in his robes, bringing out a map of London in the same movement. "Now, your orders." He spread said map over the petit table, covering it so that the edges drooped over the sides like a tablecloth. "In five days you are to make your way to Kings Cross Station. We are here (he pointed to a crowded section of the map) and the station is here (he gestured to a large building with miniature train tracks running from it). You'll have to get there on your own. It's not that far, if you take the Muggle Underground. Rumor has it difficult to navigate, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Here are your train tickets," he handed Sasuke two nondescript slips of paper, "Don't lose those, they contain all of the information you need to find the Hogwarts Express."

Once you board the train, you are to go to the front car. There will be a compartment reserved for you where you will not be disturbed."

When you arrive, a teacher by the name of Professor Flitwick will escort you to the castle's Great Hall (he's a short fellow, you'll know him when you see him). There you will wait in a back room until Professor Dumbledore announces you in his speech after the Sorting Ceremony."

From then on, you will guard the school as you see fit. You will have equal authority with the teachers, so they cannot order you around, but you in return cannot order them around. The only one you answer to is Dumbledore. I will be teaching this year, too, by the way," he added as an afterthought. "If a student fails to obey you or breaks the rules you are entitled to take House Points (which will be explained later) or give a detention that you will oversee. Any other questions can be answered by the Hogwarts staff members or students."

At this point Lupin pulled another piece of folded parchment form one of his many pockets, along with two silver necklaces with a silver ball attatched to the front and two silver earrings. "This has all of the information I discussed earlier, in case you want to go over anything. And these are enchanted to translate between English and Japanese. Turn the metal ball on the necklaces clockwise to change between spoken languages. The earrings translate what you hear automatically."

Sasuke graciously took one of each, thankful that he wouldn't actually have to learn any more English. Naruto, however, crossed his arms and was hesitant to go anywhere near the man.

"Is something the matter?" Lupin asked, genuinely confused at his distrust.

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly. "There's something…different about you. It's hard to make out, but…it's like you're not quite…" he paused, as if wondering if he should continue.

"What?"

The blonde shook his head. "I probably shouldn't say this, but…It's like you're not quite human."

Lupin's face turned grim and Sasuke stiffened, surprised by Naruto's blunt rudeness. "Baka! You don't just go around saying things like that!"

Before Sasuke could continue, Lupin interjected, "No, it's fine. Please don't make a fuss." He looked at Naruto with a steady gaze. "What makes you say that?"

Naruto huffed, "Don't pretend you can't sense anything weird about me, too." Lupin nodded silently. "So why don't we just let our cats out of the bag, eh?" He grinned. "Let me guess, you're an ookamiotoko. A werewolf."

Lupin nodded tiredly. "Indeed I am." Sasuke stiffened. So that's why Naruto was so uptight with this guy! "Though I have no word for what I sense in you, sir."

"Jinchuuriki." Naruto replied simply.

"Sacrifice? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, it's a really long story. Basically I'm sharing a body with a big bad fox. Kinda like you, I guess, only you've got a wolf instead." Naruto turned is eyes on to full power before engaging the werewolf in a staring match. To Sasuke it seemed like the two were wordlessly sizing each other up.

Lupin held Naruto's gaze for an admirable amount of time before asking, "Are we on friendly terms, then?"

Naruto grinned amiably, "Sure."

And with that, the matter was settled. Naruto finally relaxed.

A few seconds later, a soft noise made them all glance around in alarm. _What is that? Is it whimpering? Where is it coming from?_ They didn't have to wait long for an answer. Neru, slightly ruffled, though unhurt, poked his head out of Naruto's hoodie pocket and wheezed. He seemed glad for the fresh air.

Lupin stared at the tiny kit in mild alarm. "This…wouldn't happen to be the 'big bad fox', would it?"

Sasuke smirked, thinking of how absurd it must have looked to see Neru seemingly pop out of Naruto's stomach like that. Naruto paid no attention and pulled his pet gently out of the protective pocket and began worrying over him like a mother hen. "Oh my gosh, Neru! Are you okay, are you hurt? _Speak to me Neru!_" He began inspecting him from nose to tail, making sure not one single tuft of fur was out of place.

"That's just his pet," Sasuke said to Lupin, letting amusement seep into his voice slightly, "He's had a thing for foxes his whole life, for obvious reasons." He changed the topic, "Is there anything else?"

"Oh, yes, I nearly forgot. Here's some money to buy food and lodgings for the next week, and some Muggle money to get you to Kings Cross. There is an entrance to Diagon Alley, where all of the wizard shops are, behind the pub. You can only enter with a wand, so you'll have to ask someone to open it for you. There are a couple of inns in Diagon Alley, so it might be more convenient for you to get a room in one of those rather than bothering with the entrance everytime you want to come and go." He checked his watch casually. "Goodness, we've been here nearly a half-hour." He stood and bowed in a respectful Japanese manner. "Please excuse me, I have other appointments. I will see you next week, at the Feast."

They all bid eachother good day and Lupin left without a backwards glance.

"Well, he seems friendly," said Naruto absently as he stroked Neru comfortingly behind the ears.

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed. "I've never met a real werewolf before. He seemed normal to me though…what the heck were you sensing?"

"It was mostly the Kyuubi's fault. He just got all defensive and wouldn't talk to me, so I had no idea what I was up against. He never does that for no reason, you know. He just kept saying 'lycanthrope, lycanthrope, lycanthrope.' I had no idea what he was saying at first, but I remembered from the books we read. Lycanthrope is just a fancy word for werewolf."

"Ah, I see. He must be pretty annoying sometimes, huh?"

Naruto just groaned. "You have no _idea_."

--------------------------------------------------------

Translations

There was a lot of Japanese in this chapter, and most of it is probably wrong. Please feel free to correct me if am incorrect on any of these! (edit: Special thanks to Raebef for the help!!!)

Itai : ouch!

"Oi, Sasuke, daijoubu ka?" : Hey, Sasuke, are you okay?

"Urusai, Naruto…Orera wa doko ka?" : Be quiet, Naruto…Where are we?

"Doukana… Riiki Karudureno?" : I dunno…Leaky Cauldron?

"Sou desu…?" : You think so?

"Aa…kamoshirenai." : Yeah…probably.

Kitsune : fox

Karasu : Crow

Jinchuuriki : power of human sacrifice


	4. Chapter 4 Hey! Listen!

I'm sorry this took so long. Juggling a job, school, tutoring and sports really cuts into my time, plus the fact that I type this in the library, which has conflicting hours with my crazy-ass schedule. I know these all sound like excuses, but I'm really doing the best I can. Sorry, everyone.

Also: **A CLEAR, FAIR WARNING**! THIS STORY WILL BE **YAOI** FROM THIS POINT ON. I apologize to all those who voted otherwise, but you were outnumbered nearly 8 to one. So SasuNaru it shall be. I WILL NOT TOLERATE FLAMES, HATE MAIL, OR NASTY COMMENTS ON THIS. Constructive criticism is fine and welcome, but if you send some pointless rude shiznit my way I will laugh at your grotesque incompetence. **This is the will of the people.**

Finally, Naruto's got a mouth on him, and going to start using it. He's gonna drop the F-bomb quite a few times, unless someone reeeeally has a thing against it. Send me a review if there is a problem. Should I up the rating just for that?

Also, to some of the people who reviewed:

**Out Of Sheol:** Thank you so much for the long review! Did you get my reply? I'm still not quite sure how the review system works here…. 

**demon prince-sesshoumaru: **No, I am not Chinese, I am an American (with Irish ancestors if you want to be specific). :)

**knighted lioness: **Naruto being Taicho will serve a purpose later on, but not for a while. Also, he will be called Captain from now on, because it's easier to type, and because of the translation necklaces.

That being said, let's get on with the show!

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Ch 4: Rest

--------------

Naruto and Sasuke had decided to rent a room at the Leaky Cauldron for one night before heading to Diagon Alley. The Floo Powder had thrown them through the proverbial loop, and they needed time to rest. Being ninja, and powerful ones a that, they were both highly attuned to their surroundings. The new area they suddenly found themselves in was so…foreign, so…_alive_, that their internal balance was completely thrown off. And so, a mutual decision had them staying at the Inn before they threw themselves right into the hustle and bustle that surely awaited them in the Alley.

_------------------_

_Kyuubi. _

…

_Kyuuuuuuuuu…_

………

_OI, KYUUBI! STOP IGNORING ME DAMMIT!_

…_**What do you want? Noisy kit…**_

_Hey, what's up with you today? You were acting like a total fucking pansy back there! Was the little wolfie really that big of a deal? Dude, that's so weak…_

A strong wave of highly irritated chakra rolled angrily over the mental link. _**INSOLENT BRAT! THAT MAN MIGHT AS WELL BE A KITTEN COMPARED TO MY SRENGTH!**_

_THEN WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR GODDAMN PROBLEM, FOX!? _Naruto replied just as heatedly.

_**It's. Not. Him.**_ The Kyuubi shifted restlessly, almost nervously. _**There's something else here…something sinister watching us. I don't know what it is yet, but it's not good…it's evil…**_

_Oh, what? And you're not?_

_**That's not the point, fool. Stay on your toes, I mean it…it reminds me of something, but I can't place it…**_

_God, I hate it when that happens_, said Naruto sympathetically, _You could wonder about it for hours, and it just never comes…_

_**Yes, **_said Kyuubi flatly_**I know. Go to sleep, kitling, I need time to think on this in peace. And remember, be **_**careful**_** tomorrow, or is that word not in your pitiful vocabulary? **_

_Yeah, yeah, I'll be walking on eggshells._

_**Humph, **_was the only reply Naruto received before he closed their link for the night.

----------

Sasuke looked up from his novel as his teammate suddenly opened his eyes and pushed him self up on his elbows. Naruto had been lying on their shared bed in trance while he communicated with his currently taciturn tenant. Not wanting to disturb what was surely a volatile conversation, the dark ninja had pulled a random textbook from Naruto's pack and waited patiently. It wasn't long before he came to.

"So, what's the big furball's deal?" Sasuke asked casually, turning a page.

Naruto massaged his temples tiredly. "Well, he started acting up as soon as we fell out of the fire place. I got worried and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't answer clearly. I just got that stupid 'lycanthrope, lycanthrope' crap. I guess I overreacted a little. The werewolf's not the problem, Kyuu was just distracted by something else. Something a lot bigger."

"Like what?" Sasuke inquired.

But Naruto could only shrug. "No idea. Fuzzbutt's workin' on it, but he told me to keep an eye out. Coming from him, it's probably something bad. Really bad."

That worried Sasuke. The Kitsune rarely gave warnings unless he really meant them. Heeding his advice had saved all of their lives countless times in the Akatsuki War.

"It doesn't change much, though," Naruto yawned. "There was bound to be trouble from the beginning. Why else would Dumbledore have hired us?"

"True, true," Sasuke nodded. "Anyway, we both need some sleep."

"Yeah, 'cause tomorrow were going _shopping_!"

A dark eyebrow crept its way slowly up the Uchiha's face. "Shopping."

"Yes, asswipe, shopping. Don't make it sound like fucking torture."

"What on Earth could we possibly need from Diagon Alley? We're not wizards, we're shinobi, in case you haven't noticed."

Naruto wagged his finger in Sasuke's face. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. It's a secret! And besides, we've got some time to kill, why not look around a bit?"

"You're impossible."

"I was 'imbecilic' yesterday. Make up your freaking mind, teme."

Said 'teme' merely rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide a small smile. He loved how easily the banter came between them.

"Right, then," Naruto announced, "This is a command from your great and glorious Captain Uzumaki! I'm wiped out, so it's bedtime!"

Too tired to reply, Sasuke just shook his head.

The two changed clothes quietly, each choosing some loose comfortable pajamas. Sasuke set a minor shock trap on the door, so that any casual thief couldn't just make off with their ninja gear. Then they both crawled sleepily into the roomy king-sized bed. Even though they were sharing sleeping space, they knew better than to complain when the conditions on the field made it feel like paradise. As they said within the ANBU, "Anything is better than recon."

And besides, Sasuke mused contentedly, sharing a bed with Naru wasn't so bad. It was nice to know that you trusted someone enough to have them watch your back when you slept, and that they trusted you enough to do the same in return. And being so close to him, close enough to feel how warm he was, well—

--Sasuke stopped that train of thought abruptly.

"'Night, teme."

Sasuke smiled to himelf and snuggled further under the covers.

"'Night, dobe."

--------

The next morning, Sasuke allowed himself to sleep in, something he didn't do often. However, when sleeping with Naruto Uzumaki, it probably wasn't one of his more brilliant ideas.

"Saaaaasuuuuuukeeeeeee…."

He ignored it stubbornly.

"Sasuke-chaaaaaan…."

Ignoring… 

"OI, SASUKE! WAKE THE FUCK UP! DAMMIT WHY DOESN'T ANYONE LISTEN TO ME!?"

Naruto, apparently fed up with his unresponsive teammate, swiped the blankets right off the bed. "AH, COLD!" squawked Sasuke as his skin came into sudden contact with the chilly air of the room.

"Get up, I let you sleep in long enough," Said Naruto, "We need to get going so we can find someone to let us into the Alley."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sasuke shot him a silent glare.

"Hey, don't get mad at me! I would have woken you up earlier, it's just that…well…" he trailed off.

Sasuke was confused. He tiled his head slightly to the side. "Well what?"

A pause. "You're just so peaceful when you're asleep. I didn't want to bug you a first…"

_Awww_, Sasuke thought.

"…but you took too damn long, so I took matters into my own hands. You sleep like a fucking log, you know that? Stupid teme."

_Or not_.

"And this coming from the guy I had to wake up in the middle of the afternoon yesterday? Hypocrisy anyone?" Sasuke growled, only half-annoyed.

Naruto huffed in return.

They both dressed with minimal conflict. Noting how cold the room was, Sasuke took care to choose a heavier outfit than he had arrived in. It was surely even more frigid outside. He wore a plain blue hoodie, thick jeans, and a pair of boots. Turning, he saw that Naruto was dressed just as he was yesterday, minus the hat and with a pair of black cargo pants decked with innumerable chains. Naruto himelf was gazing intently into the mirror perched atop a low dresser, messing with his long hair.

"Let's see… I want to try something different today…" he said to himself, "If I do _this_," he brushed a few locks over one of his eyes, "I look like a blonde emo/goth. But if I do _this_," he pulled it into a high ponytail, "I look like a girl. Damn." There was a faint scrape of metal-on-metal as Naruto pulled a hidden kunai from one of his many pockets. "Meh. Maybe I should just chop it all off right now and be done with it."

_What!?_ "NO." Sasuke said, a bit louder than he intended.

Naruto turned, confused, kunai gripped reverse-hold in his hand. "Huh? What's the matter? It's just hair, not like it's the end of the world."

Embarrassed at his own outburst, (_Why the hell do I care about his hairstyle?_!) Sasuke coughed, "W-well, there's no point in cutting it now. You should wait until we get to Hogwarts. Besides…I-I think you look better with longer hair anyway."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in a very fox-like way, clearly wondering _Huh? _But he shrugged it off, saying, "Man, whatever, I'll just leave it down if it makes you happy." He replaced the kunai and Sasuke let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

And so the subject was dropped.

------

A few minutes later the two finished re-packing. Sasuke suggested that they wear the translation necklaces from here on out, and Naruto agreed reluctantly. Though the silver metal was bitingly cold against their necks, it would have to be tolerated. Neither of them (even Naruto, who had Kyuubi) could speak English well enough to blend in with the natives. The earrings came next, but they weren't much of a problem, seeing as how both ninja had at least one piercing in each ear already.

After that, Naruto returned their room key to the innkeeper, bouncing around excitedly like a child the whole way. Sasuke was bewildered. While he was pondering heavily over Kyuubi's forewarning, Naruto seemed so carefree. He supposed it just one more of Naruto's many hidden talents.

But then came the problem: getting into Diagon Alley.

Sasuke glared at the nondescript brick wall in front of him. He was tempted to kick it, but his common sense told him the only thing he would get for it was a sore foot. So he glared his most stern, evil-ish glare, as if hoping it would bore a whole straight through the damn thing.

Naruto was being only slightly more proactive. After a minute's worth of ranting ("I swear to fucking KAMI if you're not gonna open I'LL BLAST YOU OPEN MYSELF!!!") he started making rounds in the dining area to see if anyone would assist them. Unfortunately, there was nary a soul in the place, besides the innkeeper who had left a "Gone for breakfast" sign on the front desk.

They were stuck.

-------

A/N

I'm sorry it's so short, but I felt horrible for not posting in such a long time…so I just put up what I could. Only five pages in Microsoft Word…less than half of what the others were.

Please forgive me!

Translations:

Kami- God (I think…)


	5. Chapter 5 A Meeting of the Canine Kind

Well, folks, I was digging in last semester's school bag and discovered the manuscript for this chapter. It turns out I had completely forgotten that this story even existed! I'm so sorry, I really don't have any excuse.

In any case, here is the next chapter. It's been through a few re-writes so I think it's pretty good. I am by no means a master, but I enjoy writing anyway. Also, I'll be naming the chapters normally from now on. 'R' words are hard to think of.

Also, **NamedForTheWind** made an excellent point on the fact that Lupin is a werewolf and therefore has and aversion to silver. That was a big woopsie on my part. Please assume that whenever I mention the translation necklaces to be "silver" that I was referring to the color and luster they possessed rather than the material's chemical composition. (It's steel.)

Thank you everyone for your reviews! I wasn't able to respond to most you directly and for that I apologize. So to everyone in general: **THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto in any way, shape, or form. Sob…

**_Warning! This story will be YAOI! (SasuNaru only)_**

Chapter 5- A Meeting of the Canine Kind

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"_Thinking is the greatest torture in the world for most people.__"_

_-Anonymous_

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Harry Potter was troubled. Not that this was anything unusual. He had plenty of time over the previous summer to himself, so he was no stranger to brooding over complicated matters (with Voldemort being a frequent visitor to his thoughts). However, he had lost an entire night sleep over this latest subject and he was sorely miffed. A full eight hours of puzzling and puzzling had earned him little in the way of results. His body ached terribly from lack of sleep, and his eyelids drooped dangerously low as he dressed for the day.

Harry's problem was the two people he had met the previous evening in front of the fire. Even if he didn't know what the problem _was_, exactly, and that just made it all the more frustrating.

They were dressed as muggles, yet they had arrived by Floo Network, which was often tricky for wizards to navigate. It had probably been their first time using the powder, judging from the way they fell all over the place (not that he was one to talk). If they were muggles, and not just a duo of clumsy spellcasters, who were they? How had they gotten Floo Powder? Did they have friends or relatives who used magic? Were they students? Tourists?

_No_, Harry reasoned, _not tourists_. When Professor Lupin spoke to them they behaved like soldiers reporting for duty. But what duty? Where?

His mind immediately jumped to the new Hogwarts guards, but that seemed unlikely. The two of them were young, perhaps only a couple of years older than Harry. Would Dumbledore really hire teens for such an important job? When asked, Lupin only shook his head and said distractedly, "It's nothing you need to worry about" then bid Harry good day and promised to see him again soon. Just from that, he knew something was up, but what…?

…Then again, perhaps he was just thinking too hard, reading between the lines when there were hardly any lines to begin with. Harry rubbed his temples in slow massage as he left his an Ron's room to join the rest of the Weasleys in the drafty hallway. He sighed. Thinking in circles like that always gave him a monster of a headache.

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"_The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.__"_

_-__Marcel Proust_

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Back downstairs…

Sasuke, finally at the end of his rope, called out his Kekkei Genkai in hopes of finding some kind of gap or clue to the stupid portal thing that was their latest adversary. What he saw surprised him, though, and it must have shown on his normally passive face for Naruto asked, "What's up? What do you see?"

Releasing the Sharingan, Sasuke answered somewhat sharply, "This barrier is a complete mess. There are at least three different layers to the spell blocking the entrance here, and they're all… moving… flowing… in different directions. It's kind of hard to explain. Not only that, but they're all interlaced as well. Kind of like a huge lock, but a lot more complicated." He sighed and ran a hand through is jet-black hair in a highly aggravated way. "I don't know any jutsu that can undo it. There has to be some kind of trick to it that re-aligns the energies, but…" he trailed off, muttering to himself quietly.

Naruto could practically see the gears turning in his head. Leaving his teammate be for the moment, the blonde Jinchuriiki began running his hands slowly up and down the rough surface of the wall, taking special care to pick at the mortar for a loose brick or a trigger-switch. He made his way meticulously from bottom to top (he was too short to reach all the way up comfortably), but was disappointed until he reached a section about shoulder-high. At first glance, it was just another brick in the wall (forgive the pun), but as Naruto brushed his fingers over its surface, he noticed it had a slight dip. Also, the color was slightly different, a mere shade lighter in the center than its neighbors.

Excited, he said, "Sasuke, look at this I think I found some…thing… huh?" He turned to see that he was talking to himself. The dark shinobi was no longer standing behind him. Naruto bristled slightly (_How could he just up and leave without telling me like that? What a jerk!_) and called out loudly into the short alley, "OI, SASUKE!"

"Quiet down, dobe," came the familiar voice from above. Sasuke appeared, standing comfortably atop the wall. Presently, he jumped down and landed impeccably, as always. "I'm right here, don't throw a hissy fit."

Naruto pouted and crossed his arms. "I wasn't gonna."

Sasuke pulled out the smirk he saved especially for teasing and said slyly, "Oh, _really_? I was gone for all of two minutes and you were calling after me like a lost child."

"Aw, put a sock in it, will ya? What were you doing up there, anyway?"

The Uchiha dropped his smirk. "Seeing what's on the other side of this thing." He rapped the bricks on the portal with his knuckles.

"And…?"

"Nothing. Just a huge empty warehouse. Even if we destroyed the wall, I doubt we would be able to get into the Alley."

"Ah," said Naruto brightly, "but that's okay, because I found a clue!" He motioned to the out-of-place brick he had noticed earlier. "Look close and tell me what you see."

Sasuke took only a moment to scrutinize rough surface. "It's been worn from use," he analyzed.

A nod of agreement from Naruto. "I've already checked for switches and trick locks and there are none. We probably have to use magic on it to open the portal."

"But we don't have wands, or access to one right now," Sasuke said, frowning.

A long moment of thought, then, "You're right, but we do have chakra. Do you think that would work?"

A shrug was all that Sasuke could offer. "I honestly have no idea, but it's worth a shot." He activated the Sharingan once again. "Push some chakra into the brick and I'll tell you if anything happens, okay?"

"Sure." Naruto turned to the wall and charged up a small amount of chakra into his fingertips. Making sure to be extra careful, he slowly fed some energy into the brick.

"Woah, woah, stop!" Sasuke warned, waving his hand in the air. Naruto complied. "Geeze, that was nuts…I wasn't expecting a reaction that strong."

"Eh? What happened?" Naruto asked quizzically.

"One of the layers of energy started vibrating, then realigned and locked into place, but almost got pushed out again. I think you forced it a bit too hard." Sasuke flicked a glance at his partner. "Try it again, but just a tap this time. It should be plenty."

"Sure." He did so.

"Good, that's perfect. The second lock just slid into place. Just once more should do it."

As Naruto's finger came into contact with stone, he knew instantly that the seal was undone. Suddenly, the wall folded back on itself, brick by brick, and molded itself into perfect archway. Naruto, who had been startled by the motion, pocketed the kunai he had drawn and whistled appreciatively at the sight. "Ne, Sasuke," he said grinning, "I think we found Diagon Alley."

Indeed, before them lay the strangest place either of them had ever seen (and that was saying something, considering). The Alley was narrow, and the streets and stores were crowded with people wearing robes and pointy hats. The smells, _oh the smells in the air_! Naruto's nose went crazy with every breath, each sampling so very different and so much stranger than the last.

"_No_, you think?" came the Uchiha's reply, dripping with scathing sarcasm.

Naruto paid no mind, however, and practically bounded forward with excitement. "C'mon, sourpuss, I want to look around and have some fun before we get to work!"

Sasuke growled at the 'sourpuss' comment and released the Sharingan. He contemplated the archway warily as if expecting it to close on him before quickly stepping through.

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"_May we be fearless... from friends and enemies...from known and unknown ... from night and day...May all the directions be our allies.__"_

_-Atharva Veda_

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"Albus!"

Albus Dumbledore looked up cheerily from his Pensive as the door to his office opened and Remus Lupin entered, looking quite distraught.

Dumbledore smiled, "Ah, Remus! How nice of you to visit this fine morning! Lemon Drop?"

The werewolf glanced distractedly at the yellow sweet and politely declined. "Albus, I need to speak with you seriously. About the guards you hired…"

"Of course, of course!" the Headmaster interrupted merrily, "Have a seat, then, and we'll have a proper chat." He waved his wand and an almost ridiculously cushioned purple armchair appeared in the empty space in front of his desk. Lupin sighed at the older wizard's theatrics and took the offered chair, sinking a few inches down into the overly plush seat.

"So, what about our newest guests? I trust they have arrived safely?"

"Yes, sir," said Lupin, "but something troubles me about them."

"Oh?"

"Yes…They are so _young_, Albus! From the way you spoke of them, I figured they would be experienced fighters, not a couple of teenagers!"

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I petitioned the Lady Hokage to send her _best_ fighters. Even if the ones she sent are a bit young in our eyes, I have complete faith in her judgement. There is a saying in their village, 'One must look underneath the underneath.' If we think of them only as children, I am afraid we may be sorely underestimating them. Give it time, Remus. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised."

Lupin sighed, looking unconvinced. "There is something else…" he began.

"Fire away."

"One of the boys…there was something different about him. As soon as I began speaking to them, he tensed up, and there was something… odd about his aura, like there were two presences within him at once. It's difficult to explain." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "The wolf is hard to interpret sometimes. Anyway, when we sat down for the breifing, he named me as a werewolf out of nowhere. And when I asked him about what _I_ was feeling from him, he said his situation was similar to mine, except with a fox." Lupin raised his eyes to Dumbledore. "I don't know about you, Albus, but I've never heard of a werefox before."

In a sudden flash of comprehension, Dumbledore's eyes began twinkling brilliantly. "Oh, she sent _him_? Very bold of you, Tsunade…an interesting choice."

"Albus? You know something?"

"Indeed." A serious look from Dumbledore caught Lupin off guard. "However, it is certainly not my place to tell. It's his business, as you should fully understand. Perhaps you will find out for yourself one day, but do not worry, Remus. He is not a threat to us."

"Can you really be so sure?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. In fact, I have met him before, when he was a small boy. I was on a diplomatic trip to his village and passed by him on a riverbank and we exchanged a few words. The encounter was brief, however, and he was only a small child at the time. I doubt he remembers me."

"And you remember him?"

Dumbledore only smiled, his eyes twinkling fondly at the memory. "Oh, yes. He was _quite_ memorable. He possessed an… interesting verbal repertoire for a four-year-old. And beyond that, he is very well known in his home village, not unlike our own Mr. Potter."

"…so you are sure? Can we trust them?"

"Yes. There is no one more trustworthy than a shinobi who has been hired to protect you."

Lupin paused at that and frowned thoughtfully. "Yes, sir. Thank you for clearing this up."

"Anytime, my friend. You know my door is always open."

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"_We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.__"_

_-__Johann Wolfgang von Goethe _

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Though Sasuke agreed with Naruto that Diagon Alley was amazing, he would never admit it out loud. No, he was much to prideful for that. Instead he merely gazed evenly into the store windows as they passed, his face held perfectly straight. This was easier said than done. Wizards had some alarming wares out for sale (_Are those chesspieces moving on their own? Did that picture just wink at me!?_). On the whole, though, Sasuke's opinion on the credibility of magic (or lack thereof) was changing for the better. He had to admit, silently of course, that it was all very impressive.

It was a fact that Naruto saw fit to inform him every five second as he flitted from store to store like a crazed hummingbird. "Hey, look at this!" "Wow, that flower's glowing!" "Kami, those pictures move!" and "THAT'S A HUGE SHOE!" were but a few of his more… eloquent commentaries.

Normally this wouldn't bother Sasuke _too_ terribly, but his Captain was drawing quite a few stares. Most of the shoppers in the Alley shook their heads amusedly at Naruto's antics and went about their business, but a few of them were looking a bit to close for comfort. Some stares turned to glares and Sasuke's jaw clenched in irritation. He hated…_loathed_ being watched.

One particularly pompous-looking wizard across the street sneered at the two, "Bloody muggles." Sasuke caught his eye, activated the Sharingan once more, and growled a low warning promising severe pain if he dared to come any closer. The man promptly stiffened, turned, and fled, barely managing to keep from bolting outright.

Sasuke snorted contemptuously. The wizard's will had been pathetically easy to crush, even from _that_ distance.

Confrontation solved, Sasuke came up behind Naruto, gripped his elbow tightly and dragged his off to the side of the Alley. Ignoring the blonde's protests, he ducked into a gap between two shops for a bit of privacy.

"OI!" Naruto shouted as he jerked his elbow away angrily, "What was that for!?"

Sasuke whipped around, frowning deeply, so that they were face to face. "You're making a scene," he said harshly in Japanese. "Chill the fuck out or I'll hog-tie you, lock you in a hotel room, and investigate on my own." He jabbed a finger into the center of his best friend's chest. "You're going to get us found out before we even get to the damned school! Were supposed to be under cover for pity's sake!"

Naruto growled and shoved Sasuke's hand away. "Hey," he retorted, also in Japanese, "you're the one who needs to chill! And we've already been found out, dumbass!"

Sasuke blanched, "What? How!?"

"They saw us as soon as we came through the archway. I wouldn't have even noticed, but Kyuu sensed them watching. I don't think they have any idea who or _what_ we are, but they're definitely interested."

"Who're 'they'?"

A shrug from Naruto, "Them. The Enemy. Hostiles. Kyuu wasn't being specific."

"But if we are under scrutiny, why were you being so… noticeable?"

"I want to throw them off our scent. The crazier I act, the less likely I am to be thought of as a real threat, you see? To a certain point of course."

Sasuke could only blink owlishly, embarrassed. He had never considered and alterior motive behind Naruto's behavior. "Aa, I see. Gomen, Naruto. I wasn't thinking."

Smiling wryly, Naruto said, "Don't worry about it. Ya gotta remember, Sasuke. 'Underneath…'"

" '…the underneath.' Yeah, I know," Sasuke answered grudgingly.

A short huff of laughter at his friend's apologetic tone escaped Naruto's lips. He touched the other man's shoulder gently. "C'mon, we need to get to the bank soon so we can stock up and rent a hotel room." He turned to leave the side street and Sasuke slowly followed, smiling slightly as Naruto burst out about some amazing new discovery.

Who knew someone so hyper could be so skilled at deception? Amazing.

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_"Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is."_  
**-**_German Proverb_

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Unnoticed by the two shinobi, a dark cloaked figure stepped from the shadows in their wake. The figure clenched his fists in frustration. After all of that trouble tailing the red-eyed kid, the conversation he had eavesdropped on had been in another language altogether. Infuriating!

_Damn it all!_ He tore his hood back to reveal the fair hair and skin of Lucius Malfoy. He sneered in the direction the two foreigners had left.

Lucius had been sure, _so sure!_ that he had finally made some headway in the task his Dark Lord had set before him. That spy was to blame for this, he knew it. When he informed the master of Dumbledore's new guards, every available Death Eater had been sent out to watch for them and eliminate them if possible, but months had passed with nothing to show for it. Until these two, that is. But really, there was no evidence that these people were no more than mere tourists. They certainly didn't look the part…

Except for the red eyes, and the instant of complete, consuming horror Lucius had felt as he gazed into them.

Well, at least now he had _something_ to report. Hopefully his Dark master would be appeased.

He shuddered involuntarily as recent, bloody memories were dragged to the surface of his mind.

_Hopefully._

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"_The name we give to something shapes our attitude to it__"_

_-__Katherine Patterson _

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The tip to Gringotts was fairly uneventful, though the biukding itself was very beutiful. Sasuke laughed a bit at the warning poem on the door, which to him sounded more like a challenge than a threat to stay out. Once inside, they exchanged all of their Ryou for Galleons and Sickles. During the entire transaction, Naruto's nose had been wrinkled unpleasantly at the goblin teller. When later asked why, he replied, "He smelled like sulfur."

Now armed with the local currency the two made their way to the shops for supplies. To their disappointment there wasn't a single smithy or weapons dealer in sight. They would just have to make due with the weapons they brought with them. At Naruto' insistence, however, Sasuke reluctantly agreed to buy wands for the both of them. They were fairly expensive and nearly useless to a couple of ninja, but they would serve a purpose if only to help in understanding the enemy's arsenal.

…Or at least that's what Sasuke told himself.

--

A bell jingled merrily overhead as Naruto eased open the door to Ollivander's. Immediately after closing the door behind him, he tensed, the feeling of being watched pressing down on him from all sides.

"Ah," a raspy voice said to his left, startling him backwards into Sasuke, who steadied him, "customers. Unusual ones at that." A white-haired aging man stepped out from behind the shadowy haphazard rows of boxes. He stared at them blearily through pale and fading eyes. Naruto shuddered. Those eyes reminded him of the Hyuuga elders.

Ollivander (Naruto assumed) placed a withered had on his chin and leaned closer to Naruto as if he were a scientist and Naruto was a particularly intriguing specimen. Naruto gulped nervously and leaned away from the scrutiny, pressing his back flush against the relative safety of Sasuke's chest. Behind him Sasuke blushed faintly at the contact.

Ollivander tapped his chin thoughtfully. "That's odd, I don't recognize you at all, can't place a name." He backed away and moved behind the store counter. Naruto relaxed somewhat. "Curious, curious…"

"S-sorry," Naruto stammered, "we're not from around here. My name is Nathan Fox, and this is my cousin, Sam Crowe." He recited the cover story that was agreed on earlier. "We're tourists from America."

Ollivander brightened. "Oh, is that it? I see, come to sample the best wands Europe has to offer! Come, then, let's see what we can find for you. Allow me to call my assistant. ABIK!"

From deep within the shop there came a startled yelp and a loud crash, like someone had fallen off of a stepladder or some such. "Coming, sir!" a voice called. A few moments later a figure, "Abik", messy brown hair the only feature visible behind the mountain of boxes he was carrying, stumbled out into the main room. Settling his load down in front of the desk, he turned to Ollivander. "Did you need something, boss?"

"We have some customers from your neck of the woods, Abik. Attend to them, would you? I'll gather the wands." At his assistant's nod, Ollivander shuffled off into the depths of the shop.

As his employer left, Abik tuned to the two shinobi and froze, eyes widening with recognition. At the same time, Naruto took a sharp breath.

"_YOU!_" they both exclaimed in unison.

"NARUTO?"

"KIBA!? No way! It's been a while since I've seen you, man! How've you been?"

Abik, or Kiba, brought a finger hurriedly to his lips, "Shh! I'm under cover, baka! Call me Terry Abik around here!"

Sasuke smirked, "You need to think of a better codename, dogbreath."

"HEY!" said Kiba indignantly.

Naruto gave Sasuke a shove. "Stuff it, you."

"Yes, _Captain_," Sasuke answered with playful sarcasm.

Ignoring that for the moment, Naruto turned to Kiba, " So, if you're under cover should we call you Terry or Abik? And where's Akamaru?"

Kiba thought on that. "Mmm, I've been answering to Abik for more than a month, so why stop now? And Akamaru helps out with the cart, you'll see that in a sec." He paused. "Why are you guys here so early, any way? I wasn't expecting you until next week. Come to think of it why are you _here_?"

"To buy wands, what else?" said Sasuke.

"Eh?" Kiba blinked, confused. "What for?"

"Curiosity mostly," Naruto said. "It's nice to know what kinds of weapons our potential enemies have, ya know?"

Sasuke nodded solemnly. "That, and we'll be spending months at a school for magic. Why not eavesdrop on a class or two and learn a few tricks? Might come in handy someday."

Kiba scratched his red Inuzuka tattoo. "Huh. Yeah, I guess you're ri-" suddenly he stopped and sniffed the air. "Oh, Ollivander's coming back. Quick, what are your cover names?"

"Nathan and Sam," Naruto answered in a lowered voice.

Old Ollivander came shuffling out from the maze of shelves followed by the enormous Akamaru pulling a wooden cart loaded with thin boxes. Akamaru barked a happy greeting at the familiar faces.

Ollivander smiled at the three youths. "Here we are. I've brought a wide variety of wands to get us started. Abik, where do you think we should begin?"

"I'd say the dueling wands, boss," Kiba said, scratching Akamaru's chin and smirking.

"Oh? You think so?"

"Yessir, no doubt about it."

"I take it you know these two rather well to make that suggestion."

"Yeah, were from the same town and went to the same school," Kiba said, which wasn't a lie at all. _Well played_, Sasuke thought.

"Old friends, then. Wonderful!" Ollivander rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Dueling wands it is. Now who shall be the first?"

Sensing no initiative from his partner Naruto volunteered with a flourish, his previous timidity completely gone. "Me!"

"Ah, Mr. Fox. Yes, I have something special in mind for you. Let's see if we can't get lucky on the first try." He unhooked Akamaru from the cart and selected a nondescript slender box from the pile, presenting Naruto with a warm golden-brown wand. "Just wave it around willy-nilly and we'll judge the reaction…"

Naruto swished the wand in a wide arc and was caught off guard by the powerful reaction. A warm, gentle, red-tined wind rushed through the store and swirled around him in a vortex, before fading harmlessly into thin air. Naruto smiled as he felt the wand's energy course through him.

"Splendid, splendid! Just as I thought!" Ollivander clapped happily. "Oh, I do so enjoy it when I guess correctly! That wand is oak with a gryphon feather core, ten and a half inches, a fairly uncommon combination. The ferocity and raw power of the majestic creature tamed by the calming influence of the oak. A potent yet stable mix, perfect for all types of Transfiguration. Treat it well, Mr. Fox."

Naruto paid happily for his wand and gave the stoic Sasuke a nudge forward so he could take his turn.

"Hmm, you, Mr. Crowe, may be slightly more difficult." Ollivander rummaged through his pile. "Try this one, dogwood with a phoenix feather core. Eleven inches."

Sasuke grasped the wand only to have it immediately snatched away.

"No, no, that won't do. How about this, ash and unicorn hair, nine and a quarter. Give it a wave."

Sasuke did so, resulting in a wild blast that upended Ollivander's cart. _Oh shit_, he thought. He glanced at the old man worriedly.

The wandmaker waved it off, "Not to worry, happens all the time. We'll find you a wand yet, my boy!"

The process however proved to be rather lengthy. Nine trail wands later and there were still no successes.

"A challenge, eh? Well, we'll see about that. Try_ this_…"

Sighing, Sasuke accepted the new wand and nearly dropped it in surprise. The instant his fingers touched the dark wood, blue sparks emanated from it and encircled his hand, sending a pleasant tingling sensation up the rest of his arm.

"Ooh, good show! And from such a peculiar match! Rosewood and a thestral tail hair core, ten inches and slightly more slender than most. Odd, these materials are usually completely incompatible. This wand will be extremely well suited for rapid casting, but it is somewhat… wild. An ideal tool for a duelist! May it serve you well, Mr. Crowe."

"Aa. Thank you." Sasuke paid for the wand gratefully.

"Hey, Mr. Ollivander, can we borrow Abik for lunch? It's been so long since we've seen him…" Naruto asked, pulling out his signature sugar-sweet innocent act.

"I don't see why not. He's certainly earned a break today."

Kiba turned to his employer, surprised. "For real, boss?"

Ollivander chuckled, "Of course! It's not often you run into old friends. Go on! Off with you! Remember to bring me back the usual, the Original Black..."

"Raspberry Chip!" Smiling, Kiba saluted, "Yes, sir, Mr. Ollivander, sir!" He ran joyously out the front door dragging Naruto and Sasuke with him. "Be good, Akamaru!" he called back as the door shut.

Ollivander smiled contentedly through the window at their retreating backs. "Good lads aren't they, my canine friend?" he mused, scratching the great dog behind his ears. Akamaru barked his agreement.

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_You can't shake hands with a clenched fist._

_-__Indira Gandhi_

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Ten minutes later found the three ninja chatting amiably over their frozen treats at Fortescue's. They talked about anything and everything, finding rare enjoyment in each other's company.

"So, _Abik_, since when do you go anywhere without Akamaru?"

"Well, _Nathan_, Ollivander is getting on in his years and needs a bit of help around the shop, so Akamaru watches out for him when I'm not around."

"…and no one asks any questions?"

"About what?"

"Akamaru, dude, he's _massive_! How could people _not_ wonder!"

"I dunno. I just tell 'em it's magic and they leave it alone."

"That's kind of the end-all answer around here, huh?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Convenient."

"No kidding."

As Sasuke scooped the last bit of his blueberry ice cream into his mouth he decided to turn the conversation to more pressing matters. "Abik, you said earlier that you were waiting for us. What did you mean?"

Kiba puffed out his chest importantly. "Aside from guarding the Alley, I'm in charge of coordinating all the investigative teams in Europe. I make sure they get all of the supplies and medical attention they need. Diagon Alley is kinda like Home Base and I'm base commander. Cool, huh?"

Sasuke scoffed, "They trusted you with all that?"

"Well, not _all_ of it. Hinata is the resident healer. Tenten's here, too. She handles the weapons, mostly."

"Ah. Where can we find Tenten?"

"She usually stays at the Drunken Dragon Inn down the street, but she's makin' a run back to Konoha to restock right now. Team Shikamaru just came through and cleaned us out."

"Damn."

Naruto sighed. "Ah well, them's the breaks. When will she be back?"

"Probably not for a while. She left early this morning. I do have some good news though!" Kiba dug into his pants pocket and handed Naruto a small nondescript envelope. "This is why I was watching for you guys, I'm supposed to give this to you," he whispered. "Don't open it here, but there's a list of profiles for all known active Death Eaters and their kids at Hogwarts. Burn it as soon as you memorize it."

Naruto stared, shocked, at the envelope. "You _serious_? That's awesome! This will save us so much time! Thanks!"

Kiba waved off the praise, "Be sure to thank _Neji_ when you see him. He worked his ass off to get this info, there's no way I'm gonna take the credit. People might begin to think I'm _responsible_ and _organized_."

"Oh, the horror."

Kiba only laughed at that. "What're you guys gonna do next? The train to Hogwarts doesn't leave for another four days."

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno, really. Mostly hang out I guess. Might do a little investigating on the side if I feel like it."

"Sounds good." Kiba stood and left the bill for the ice cream on the table. "In that case, I'll be getting back to work. Come and stop by sometime if you can."

Naruto nodded. "Sure, we'll see you around!"

The group said their final goodbyes and Naruto and Sasuke debated on where they should head next.

"What do you think, Sam, can you think of anything we need?"

Sasuke quickly ran through a mental list. "The only thing I can think of is a messenger bird so we can contact someone in case of emergency."

Naruto grinned excitedly, "To the pet shop, then?"

"To the pet shop."

--

A/N

Was anyone confused by the characters refering to each other in code name? Please let me know.

Has anyone ever had blueberry ice cream before? It's sooooooo good…

Anyone is wondering where Neru is? He is asleep in Naruto's hoodie pocket. By the way, Neru means "to sleep" in Japanese. That's why he's always so drowsy.

If anyone has ANY questions at all, please send a review or shoot me an e-mail at _silver1sun at yahoo dot com_ with the subject **Fanfic Query**. Also, I have no Beta, so critiques and suggestions are always welcome!

Until next time, my friends!


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